Life with the Undead BY JORDRE
by Jake Crepeau
Summary: Rex has his Territory, his Lair, and his people. But there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up before life can become settled for everyone. The final part (Part Five) of Nomen Vampyri Rex. Still rated M, because hey, vampires, don'tcha know.
1. Chapter 1

**Life with the Undead**

By Jordre

Rex has his Territory, his Lair, and his people. But there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up before life can become settled for everyone. The final part (Part Five) of _Nomen Vampyri Rex_. Still rated M, because hey, vampires, don'tcha know.

Ok; I'd thought that I was done with this, but they just wouldn't stop talking to me… Last part ― Part 5 of _Nomen Vampyri Rex_ ― I hope!

**Author's Note :** This story follows directly on from _The Master of the Twin Cities_, and is 98% Original Characters. Illustration for cover art for part five adapted from a cover from the "For Dummies" instructional book series.

**Author's Note ****2:** Again with thanks to my roommate (and beta), Jake; without her able input and encouragement, this story would never have been written. Begun 11/24/12; completed 12/16/12.

**Disclaimer: (applies to all subsequent chapters; I'm not gonna write this over every time.) **All rights to _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and_ Angel the Series_ belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy; Any Humans and Vampires that you might recognize are his. All others are mine; I'll put his back without too much damage when I'm done playing with them. Some situations referred to are taken from both _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _and_ Angel the Series, _but I'm too lazy to go looking them up to specifically footnote them. I originally read about the concept of the Vampiric Territories of North America in Yanagi_wa's wonderful story, Ulterior Motives. Other than that, if some item or situation sounds like something you wrote, please understand that I didn't intentionally take what was yours; it just apparently made enough of an impression to really stick in my brain.

Additionally, I have never been to Minneapolis or any of the other locations used as settings for this, and have not even tried to be accurate with any street names or areas indicated; any resemblance to actual people or places is sheer coincidence.

**Chapter 1**

The great house was mostly silent now, shadows standing deep in the corners, where the occasional dim light refused to reach. Slowly he staggered out of his suite, the heavy door closing behind him with a quiet _snick_ of the latch. He wavered briefly on his feet before slowly heading for the dining room, where the rest of the household should be gathered, eating dinner.

He could hear their laughter and quiet conversations as he drew nearer, and smiled despite his exhaustion. The soft chiming of utensils against dishes, the scent of the warm food he could smell now as he stood just outside the door, the scent of warm blood that he could taste on the still night air…

Voices fell silent as he pushed open the dining-room door and stepped inside. They stared at him, at the blood that still stained his chest and shoulder from the wounds that it had run freely from. Frozen in place, they stared. Then he wavered on his feet, and the spell was broken.

"Master Rex!" Collins exclaimed as he and Taylor leapt up from the table to go to their Master.

Taylor said nothing, but he was the first to reach the vampire's side, despite being farther away. He warned Collins away with a look, helping his Master over to the chair which stood empty at the table's head. He accepted the mug of warm blood that was passed to him and offered it to the vampire. "C'mon, Rex; take a drink of this," he urged quietly as he held the mug in front of the vampire's face.

The other humans gathered at the table remained in their chairs, watching curiously. Relief lit their eyes as the house's Master placed a shaky hand on the mug and guided it to his lips, although he did not try to take it from Taylor's hand. All present watched as the wounds on neck and shoulder started to heal. A second, then a third mug were offered and swallowed down before Rex finally gave a sigh and looked around.

Taylor caught his master's eyes and grinned. "He's a messy eater," he said, hiding his relief behind the joke.

Rex shrugged. "He had been sick quite some time; he was hungrier than the other two were. It is not totally unexpected."

"I still wish you'd let me stay with you t' give you a hand with 'im," Taylor grumbled half under his breath. He knew that the vampires present would hear him clearly, although the Stable Kids would not. He also knew, though, why he'd been kept away. New vampires were voracious; the fledge would have been drawn to the scent of the warm blood flowing through his veins. Rex would have had a harder time controlling him, despite the draw he would have felt towards his Sire.

"You know why, my Pet," Rex said, running a gentle hand down Taylor's arm. He smiled at his favored human once more, then looked over at the other two vampires present in the room. "Corey, my Childe, you have a new brother," he announced quietly, letting them all know that not only had the new vampire finally risen, he'd been found acceptable by his maker.

"Great!" Corey replied, truly pleased. He had visited with the new vampire before his turning and had found that he'd liked the man. Now he would have a new friend, and their family had grown once more.

The other young vampire was quieter. Nick, as he now was called, was only a minion, a low-status vamp. While he was glad for his Master, he couldn't help but feel a little left out. Master Rex had taken him into his household, true enough, but he was from a different bloodline; the only one there not of Rex's making. He would never feel the bonds of blood that the others would have drawing them together.

He paused in his musing as the scent of loss and despair hit his sensitive nose. He looked around at the humans there, at Master Rex's gathered Stable. The young ones, children and teenaged runaways that had been rescued, all seemed just pleased to see their Master looking better once more. Dobbs leaned against Corey, his vampiric master, although Corey was technically still a Childe and traditionally not entitled to a Pet of his own yet. Marc, fairly new to the Stable, seemed fine also. Nick let his gaze swing to the last adult in the Stable: Sammy Chen.

Sammy had been added to the Stable this past winter, coming back from Chicago, along with Marc Santos. Master Rex had gone to acquire hunting rights for his Court from the Territorial Master, Don Marco di Salvatore, and had come back with the two humans. Marc Santos had been in the Chicago VA hospital, dying from some odd sort of invasive, proliferating tumors. He'd come with the vampire willingly for turning, but Rex had first tried to cure him with daily infusions of vampire blood. It had worked, and the human, a former Marine corporal, had stayed in the Stable.

Sammy, though, had been the Pet of Don Marco's youngest Childe, Joey. He had first met the young vampire at the Hunter unit, where he'd been assigned as Joey's handler. He had left with his charge when Joey had been rescued by Rex, once the abuses at the Hunter Base had come to light, and had remained with him at Don Marco's Court in Chicago. There he had stayed, until Joey had started to collect his own following, against his Sire's orders. The younger vampire had been feeling too full of himself, was too wayward and headstrong. As punishment, Don Marco had sent Sammy away with Master Rex. Shortly after that, they had received word that Joey had challenged a Slayer and had been dusted.

Always having acknowledged the fact that he was bisexual, Sammy had let himself fall hard for Joey. He was devastated at being sent away from his Master, and had been shocked at the news of his final death. Now he mourned, here in Master Rex's Stable. He was well cared-for, had plenty to do and lots of company, but he deeply missed his vampire. It just wasn't the same when Rex, or sometimes even Corey, fed from him; they weren't _his._

Now Nick looked at him carefully, seeing the weight that the human had lost through his mourning. The human needed someone of his own, the young vampire realized, and sighed. Nick knew that _he_ would never have a Pet of his own; he was too low-status, and he knew that he might not be able to stop feeding in time to keep from hurting a human. Maybe in another forty or fifty years, but right now he was too young still. He suspected, too, that Sammy might very well welcome that: suicide-by-vampire. And _that_ would be very bad for the rest of the Stable. They all trusted their Master to stop in time; in the year that Rex had had them, only one had died from the bite, and that had been intentional. All there knew it, and had even rejoiced at that young punk's demise. No; Sammy's being drained by accident would be very bad.

He watched, curious, as the human excused himself and left the table, heading, no doubt, for his own quarters. No one else noticed him leaving, or, if they did, made no comment.

~oOo~

It was quiet upstairs. Sammy Chen started towards his own quarters, but the Stable wing was dark and silent with everyone else still down in the dining room. He paused, then turned to look at the vampires' wing. _They_ were all downstairs also, all except for the newly risen fledge. He didn't know Steve, as the young vampire had been called in life. He had avoided the man pre-turning, deep in mourning for his lost Master.

The idea grew in his mind. He didn't know Steve, but the young vampire didn't know him, either. He would feel no sense of loss, no sense of remorse. Fledges were, after all, little more than walking appetites at first. They had all been warned to stay away from him for the first week or two.

Slowly Sammy headed for the Master's suite, and the young vampire who slept there now.

~oOo~

A strange drumming sound drew him from his contented sleep. There was an enticing aroma in the room that drew his golden eyes. Who or what was this in Sire's room? And where was Sire? Steve sat up, looking at the intruder in confusion, a soft growl rumbling in his chest. The odd thought and memory played through his mind, leaving him confused and anxious. He wasn't hungry yet—Sire had fed him from his own blood—but _this _smelled so good…

But Sire had told him to stay there until he returned. Steve frowned. Was this being supposed to be in here? Should he hold him—it was male, he could sense that—here until Sire returned? Or should he send him away?

He smelled so good…

Steve wondered what his blood would taste like, if Sire would mind if he tried a bite.

Sire had said that he wasn't allowed to eat any of the humans there…

"Are you a human?" he asked finally, unable to restrain himself any longer.

"Why do you ask?"

"Sire said I couldn't bite any humans here."

"Oh." The being paused in thought, then answered, "I am Chen."

It was Steve's turn to pause for thought. He sensed truth in the statement, but something was still off. He searched his memories further; he'd never heard of a _chen_ before, he was sure of that. But there were many things he'd not been told about, in the _before._ Things that those in charge had not wished him to know. His ignorance in these matters worried him, causing him to silently vow to learn all he could, as fast as possible. Of course, that didn't help him now.

He took a careful sniff of the air. It was faint, but he could detect Sire's scent on this _chen._ Also another vampire… So perhaps this _chen_ was a _type_ of human? But why wouldn't he admit it? _He_ had learned caution during his time as a human, serving with the Hunters before becoming sick, even if those memories were just a vague blur right now.

So he grinned. Caution ruled. He would keep this _chen _here until Sire returned. He would not bite, but would not let him loose among the other humans, in case he was actually a danger.

The _chen_ grinned back and came to him on the bed. Steve wrapped his arms around the _chen,_ holding him against his chest as he lay back down again. The _chen_ sighed and lay back against him, the warmth of his body soothing, comforting. Steve started to purr, and did so until they both fell asleep.

That was how Rex found them, sleeping together, when he returned to his Childe two hours later. He couldn't prevent the fond smile that crossed his face as he looked at his youngest Childe. Golden eyes opened to look back at him as the fledge sensed his Sire nearby.

"And what do you have there, my Childe?" Rex asked in a gentle voice. He wondered what the human had said; it was clear to him that his Childe had been obedient.

"I'm not sure, Sire," Steve admitted, keeping his voice down, but not stopping the soft purr that had started up again as he woke. "He came in here while I was sleeping. I asked what he was; he said he was a _chen._ I don't know what that is, but he didn't seem dangerous. I wasn't sure though, so I kept him here until your return. What is he, do you know, Sire? He's warm, and comfortable… and he smells _so_ good…"

Rex stripped and moved to climb into the bed on the other side of his Childe and drew Steve up close to him before answering. "His _name_ is Sammy Chen. I am very pleased with you, my Childe, for you did not bite. He is a human, and he belongs in my Stable."

"But, Sire… Why's he here?" Steve was even more confused now. If this human belonged to his Sire, why would he come in to _him?_

"He recently lost his Master, my precious one," Rex answered, starting his own purr to soothe the young fledgling. "He used to belong to a Childe of _my_ over-Master, but that Childe was disobedient, so the human—his Pet—was taken away from him and given to me. I think he hoped you would drain him, so he would not have to live without a Master."

"Should I have, Sire?"

"No, Steve; you did the right thing, and I am very pleased with you," Rex assured his Childe. "It is hard to resist the scent of a live human, especially for one so young as you. In time, I will teach you how to drink from one without killing, but that is a lesson for when you are older. Right now, you need to feed from me, and grow stronger. In a few days, I will take you hunting. You have much to learn, much that will seem against your nature. I will teach you, though, and you will help me protect my territory, and make me proud of you."

"Yes, Sire," Steve breathed contentedly against his maker's chest, as he bit down and swallowed several mouthfuls of blood. He licked the wounds closed as he'd been taught earlier, and drifted back to sleep, cradled between his sire and the warmth of the human, Chen.

~oOo~

"Taylor, give me the Thermos—I'll take it in to him. You _know_ you shouldn't go in there yet." Nick kept his voice down, but firm.

Rob Taylor looked down unhappily. "Yeah, I guess," he finally admitted with a sigh. "He wouldn't let me near him for nearly a week when he turned the last two, except to bring him his blood. I miss him, though, Nick. Never thought I'd say _that._"

"He'll have you back with him soon, Taylor," Nick said, understanding what the problem was. "He's not gonna cast _you_ off; don't worry about it, okay? So gimme the Thermos, and go. I'll tell him you're thinking about him—He'll smell you on this, anyway."

"Okay." Reluctantly he passed the Thermos of warm blood over, along with a mug. Finally he turned away and headed for the room just outside the vamp wing's door, where he and Dobbs were staying at the moment.

Nick waited until the door shut behind Rex's Pet, then tapped lightly on the suite's outer door before pushing his way inside. The scent of Sammy Chen inside had him hurrying through the sitting room in concern. He sighed in relief at the sight of the three men sprawled together on the bed.

"Brought you some warm blood, Master," Nick said at the sight of his Master's annoyed look. "Taylor was worried; he wanted to bring it in himself, but…"

"Thank you, Nick; you did well," Rex smoothed his features as he acknowledged his minion's thoughtfulness. "Tell Taylor that he may come in tomorrow to meet Steve; I will be out later myself." He looked over at his companions and sighed. "Take Sammy out, and secure him in his quarters, please. I will speak to him later, also."

"Yes, Master," Nick said as he lifted the still-sleeping human from the bed. Steve whined unhappily at that, but a soft cuff to the back of his head from Rex cut his protest off. _That was interesting,_ Nick thought as he carefully removed the human from the suite, letting the door shut quietly behind him.

Taylor's head popped out of his room as soon as he heard his Master's door open and shut. He goggled at the sight of Nick carrying Sammy, but he held his questions as he hurried ahead of the young vampire to open Chen's door. He watched in surprise as Nick pulled a long tether chain out of its drawer—all the stable rooms had one, although they were almost never used now that Eddie was gone—and locked it onto Sammy's collar and to a fixed ring behind the headboard of his bed.

He waited until Sammy's door was shut again before voicing his questions. "What the _hell…?!"_

Nick looked at him strangely, then sighed. "You know he left dinner early, yeah? I was half-afraid he'd try to do just what he did. You know, try to commit suicide-by-vamp?"

"I know he's been really torn up over losing Joey, but I didn't realize it was _that _bad," Taylor admitted.

"How would _you_ feel if someone tried to take you away from Master Rex now?" Nick asked, still keeping his voice down as the two of them walked away from Sammy's room.

Taylor stopped briefly, then sighed and caught up to Nick. "Yeah; I guess I didn't think it through. Don't know if I'd go quite that far, but who knows, really? It's easy to say I wouldn't do that now, but if it really happened…? He's okay, though, right?"

"Steve didn't bite him, if that's what you mean," Nick replied with a shrug. "He was curled up tight to him; Master Rex was on Steve's other side. _He's_ pissed; Steve wasn't happy to have Sammy taken away from him, either."

"I bet. You guys are pretty possessive, fortunately for me," Taylor chuckled briefly, and even Nick grinned at that.

"Yeah. Looks like Steve might be wantin' him as a Pet."

Taylor looked sharply over at the young vampire at that. "You ever wish _you_ had a Pet, Nick?" he asked, trying to keep his question sounding casual.

Nick sighed, but was silent for a long moment. He looked at Taylor as he went back into his temporary quarters. "Yeah," he finally admitted with another sigh. "It'll never happen, though; 'm just a minion. Have a good day, Taylor. Rex said he'll see you later."

Taylor watched the young vampire walk away, a thoughtful look on his face.

~oOo~

"You say we're back here on leave—_why _can't we go see our sire?" Tall and sure of himself, the red-headed vampire barely restrained a snarl at being so thwarted. Craig McElroy had been a Marine lieutenant before being turned in Afghanistan the year before. He had been mortally wounded in an ambush, with no hope of surviving his injuries even long enough to make it back to the base alive, and had asked a visiting vampire to turn him.

Beside him was his "sister," Rebecca Stein, an Army nurse who had been turned by the same Master vampire after the hospital she'd been serving at had been attacked that same night. She, too, would have died if not for their Sire… They had been left in place, although transferred on paper to a special unit, when he had returned home, for their Sire knew that they would be happier if left serving their country. The Nightstalkers—a unit of vampire volunteers—had sent out trained "companions" for the two young vampires, to watch over them and see to their needs.

Now back in the States on rotation for additional, special training, the two young Childer had been "chipped," as was standard procedure for any vampire in this unit under the rank of Master. Computer chips had been implanted in their brains, which would give them a painful shock should they attempt to harm humans here at home. Their companions—handlers, really—had remote controls that could disable these chips while they were on active assignment overseas. In their hands, the chips were merely a safety precaution during training exercises and overly stressful non-combat situations.

"Craig, the general populace still doesn't know about vampires," Captain Jennifer Samuels said with a sigh. She wished that Major Fielding would get back from _his_ leave; she hated having to deal with the undead. They were so demanding and unreasonable…

"So? It's not like we're gonna go around yelling that we're vampires," he retorted belligerently.

Rebecca put a hand on his arm to quell his anger. "Captain," she began, trying to be reasonable, "we were only with our Sire for three weeks. Normally we would have been with him for decades, easily up to a hundred years. We _need_ to see him, to be with him, now that we're not actively serving in the field. We'll come back once it's time to go active again."

"You can't just go off on your own…" Samuels tried again, only to be cut off once more.

"So we'll bring our handlers with us!" Craig snapped, using the terms for their Pets that the humans used when the uninformed thought the vampires couldn't hear them. "We need to go _home,_ Captain. Or do you want to be responsible for us going unstable?"

She turned white at that thought—a good trick, considering her dark complexion. "What do you mean?" she forced out, trying not to back away from them after hearing a comment that could have been a threat.

"He means that we need to spend some time with our Sire," Rebecca put in, "just like a baby needs to be with its parents to develop properly. Infants in foster care don't do as well as those with good parents; it's the same with us. We may _look_ like adults, but our demons are just children. We need _our_ Sire, not just masters from another bloodline."

"I'll… see what I can do, okay?" she finally relented, not wanting to be responsible for any problems developing later. "Do you know where he is?"

"Minneapolis," Craig answered readily. "I have his e-mail address; I can let him know we're coming."

"What about your companions? Will they be safe?" she asked, one last-ditch effort to prevent this trip.

"He keeps a Pet and a Stable—live humans for food, protected ones. They'll be fine," Rebecca said, pleased now herself. "Our companions will be just fine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

In the end, they opted to drive up in one of the necro-tinted vans kept by the Nightstalkers. They could have flown—a five- to six-hour trip that way, but that held the risk of leaving them stranded by winter storms in an unsafe airport. Plus they'd have to go through metal detectors, which might show their control chips. Craig had researched train travel, and _that_ would have been a forty-eight-hour nightmare, with at least four-hour layovers in both DC and Chicago. At that point, they'd decided to drive.

Since they'd been guaranteed at least two months before being rotated back to overseas duty, they took three days for the trip, mostly due to the poor condition of the roads. They traveled during the day, the handlers doing the driving, while the two vampires dozed in the back seat, and went out to prowl after dark to burn off their excess energy.

Now near dusk, they passed a sign proudly proclaiming,

WELCOME TO SAINT PAUL

"I thought you said he was in Minneapolis," Rebecca said from the back seat as she frowned at the road sign.

"He is," Craig said with a matching frown, looking at their driver in irritation. "What're we doing _here?"_

Andrew Watkins looked up into the rear-view mirror and grinned, even though he knew he wouldn't see anyone there. "The two cities run together; according to the map, you can't really tell where one ends and the other begins. We just get to this one first. Besides, he holds this whole region, doesn't he? Master Rex, I mean."

"Yeah; 's what he said," Craig replied, relaxing once more.

Bobby Reynard frowned down at the map he had. "So, where do we have to go, now we're here?" He turned in the front passenger seat to look at his vampire, freezing when he caught the guilty look that flashed briefly across Craig's face. "Craig, he _does_ know we're coming, right?" he asked, hopefully nodding his head as he spoke.

"Uh… not really," the redheaded vampire slowly admitted.

Even Rebecca looked somewhat shamefaced now. "We…worried that he would say not to come," she explained. "We need to see him…but he left us there so easily—or it looked that way to us."

"Oh, yeah, he had all the right reasons…and he was right, as far as it went. But…" Craig let his voice trail off, hating to look so insecure in front of even their own human Pets.

"Okay; don't sweat it," Bobby said, knowing that he'd have to do some quick damage control. These vamps were _very_ young, and tended towards insecurity where their standing among the other vampires was concerned. "Do you have a phone number for him?"

Silence.

"Ooooh-_kay._ How about an e-mail address— You told Captain Samuels you had that…"

"I lied," Craig admitted, trying a roguish grin to soften up his Pet.

Andrew sighed and pulled the van over to the side of the road. He turned in his seat to look back at the two vampires. "Do you have _any_ idea where to even _start_ to look for him? He must have told you _something_ while he was with you."

"He was too busy trying to teach us control and how to hunt and track," Rebecca told her Pet. "Then I convinced him to let me go back to working in the hospital again. I missed it so…"

"Yeah, I know, sweetie," Andrew said soothingly. "Okay. What _do_ we know?"

"We need to be in Minneapolis itself," Craig said, sure of that fact at least. "That's where he started. He was—I guess still _is—_the Vampire Vigilante. He told us that much, at least."

_"Some_ humans here know about him," Rebecca added, trying to help. "Some doctor somewhere, I think he said."

"I think he said something about claiming some cops… and a JAG lawyer," Craig put his own two cents in.

The two handlers looked at each other, at a loss how to proceed now. This was a _big_ metropolitan area; _how_ did these two crazy vamps expect to locate some unknown doctor, or cops, in all of this? It just served to underline the fact that these two demons were only kids, babies of their kind, something that nearly everyone tended to forget. Rebecca still had all her medical knowledge and skill with patients—in fact, she was more effective now that she could monitor humans with her vampire senses. And Craig was even deadlier than ever in the field. But as vampires, they were just infants.

"Okay. So we head into Minneapolis itself," Andrew decided, putting the van back into gear and pulling back out into traffic once more. "Which way, Bobby?"

~o~

The business district was nearly deserted, everything closed down for the night. Once more Andrew pulled over to park as they tried to decide what was next. "We _could _put a call in to Master Tony or Master Ripper," he suggested cautiously. "I think they have Master Rex's number."

It was Bobby who vetoed that suggestion. "Kids'll get in trouble for lying to the captain," he said, feeling that he had to protect his vamp at all costs. "It'll be bad enough when they have to 'fess up to their Sire. We need to keep this in the family, Drew."

"So what do you suggest?" Andrew yielded without a fight.

"Ummm… Let's try the cops first. Vampire Vigilante… Homicide cops would be the likeliest, don'tcha think?" Bobby suggested after a pause for thought.

"Yeah, but we can't just go in saying we want the cops who know about vampires."

They were sitting in the quiet van, pondering their problem, when a car pulled up in back of them and suddenly flashed blue lights. Bobby and Andrew exchanged worried looks with their passengers, then looked quickly around themselves. The two humans groaned: They'd stopped in front of a large bank building, which was now closed, and their van had _very_ dark windows. It was clear what these police officers suspected.

"Okay, kids; don't snarl or hiss at the nice cops, no matter what," Bobby reminded the two vampires before rolling down the passenger-side window for the approaching cop. "Evening, officer," he said as he passed both his and Andrew's IDs over to the man.

"You folks need some help?" he asked as he shone his flashlight at the IDs and at the two men in the front seat, then took a quick look at the other two people in the car.

"Sorta, but we're not sure who to ask," Andrew said. "We're from out-of-town, looking for someone who might know a friend of ours, but we don't know their names, or how to reach our friend."

The cop looked at them suspiciously.

Bobby sighed and indicated the two young vampires in the rear seat. "The kids have a relative somewhere around here, and decided _not_ to let him know ahead of time that we were coming. They didn't tell us that before we headed out, though. He has an unlisted number, and we don't have his address. Now we just hope that he's home…if we can even find him."

"There are a couple of policemen who know him," Rebecca said, then sighed. "We don't know who they are, just that they know our…uncle well. I thought he'd be easier to find—we didn't realize that this was such a _big_ city."

"You folks are military, huh?" the cop said, knowing that his partner was having the van's plates run even then.

"Yeah; we just got back from Afghanistan recently on leave. Figured to do some visiting while we were in the States," Andrew said, keeping a smile on his face even as he slowly panicked.

"Why don't you come back to the station, an' we'll see if we can find this friend of yours," the patrolman said, but it clearly was _not_ a request.

His partner walked up and spoke quietly. The two vampires could clearly hear him saying that the plates had come back registered to the government, but the agency or group was blocked. The two men exchanged worried looks at that news, then looked at the van's passengers again.

"They're worried," Craig told the two handlers. "Maybe we should go with them—someone there may know _something."_

"We don't have a choice, if we don't want to stir up even more suspicion," Andrew said, then looked back at the approaching patrolman. "Which way to the station? We've never been here before."

~o~

The main police station was busy, considering the late evening hour. The patrolmen watched them carefully as they parked the van in the visitors' lot, then escorted them into the main lobby.

"Any idea who these cop friends of your 'uncle' might be—what department they might work in?" the senior partner asked, still watching them carefully. Andrew wasn't happy about all the attention they were drawing, but there wasn't much he could do about it right then.

"Um… Homicide, maybe?" Craig offered cautiously.

The patrolman froze, then repeated, "Homicide?" and exchanged a worried look with his partner.

"Yeah, maybe. I'm not really sure," Craig answered, exchanging a worried look with Rebecca at the brief spurt of fear-scent that he caught from the patrolman.

"Do you know what this friend looks like? The cop, I mean?"

"Sorry; no. We weren't told that," Craig said, wondering what had frightened this man.

"Okay. I'm gonna call up to Homicide, see if I can get someone to come down an' talk to you. It may not be who you're looking for, but they may know who that is, at least. I don't know who's on tonight. There's a room back here you can wait in…" The patrolman was sweating now as he stepped back and indicated a hallway off to one side. They had all heard the rumors, had seen the furor when Homeland Security had been slapped down and put in its place last fall. Now that they were in good lighting, he could see how pale the woman and the red-headed guy were.

But they went quietly enough and showed no signs of nervousness. The two dark-haired guys with them looked worried, though, although the patrolman wasn't sure why. They went into the room he indicated, quickly looking around to identify any possible threats. The redhead nodded, as if finding it acceptable, and all four took seats, the pale pair placing themselves between the other two men and the door. Taking a deep breath, the patrolman closed the door and picked up the nearest phone.

"Homicide; Detective Loris speaking," a male voice answered.

"This is Patrolman Johnson. Is anyone up there tonight to take the 'weird' calls? I got four… people down here in Family Room Three; they say they're looking for some cops who know a relative of theirs, but they don't have any names, or a phone number or address for this relative. Two of 'em are _real_ pale…"

"Shit. Murphy an' Sullivan are on day shift this week. They causin' any problems?" Loris asked as he pulled his service weapon out of a drawer and prepared to go downstairs.

"Nah; they been real cooperative. You know who they're lookin' for?"

"I think so. I'll be right down t' talk to 'em."

"Thanks, Detective…" But the line was dead now. Johnson waited in the hallway, guarding the door to keep everyone else out of that room.

Finally the detective hurried over. "All quiet still?"

"Yeah. You want me to stay out here, make sure no one walks in on ya?" Johnson asked, not certain what was going on, only sure that this could turn out really badly if too many people poked their noses into it.

"I'd appreciate it," Loris answered, keeping his voice down. "Where's their car—or how did they get here?"

"Van with government plates. Unofficial ones, an' we couldn't find out what agency it belongs to. It's in the visitors' lot; no one is botherin' it."

"Good; leave it alone," Loris instructed. "If these people are connected to who I _think_ they are, they can pull some strings that'd make your hair curl. Try not to listen in, okay?"

"Sure thing, sir; that's trouble I _don't_ need," Johnson agreed, heartily wishing now that they'd never set eyes on that van. But the detective was going into the room now, and carefully shutting the door behind himself.

"'Evening, folks," he said as he looked over the waiting foursome. "I'm Detective Ken Loris, Homicide. I think I may be able to assist you. Who are you, and who are you looking for, if you don't mind telling me?"

They exchanged glances before answering.

"I'm Specialist First Class Andrew Watkins," the shorter, powerfully built man answered. He gestured towards the taller, wiry man with straight black hair and brown eyes. "He's Lance Corporal Robert Reynard." Andrew clearly meant to stop there, but the vampires were having no part of this.

"I'm Craig chi-Rex of Whittington; my sister is Rebecca chi-Rex," the pale redhead answered, watching the detective closely.

"And _that_ says you're looking for Murphy or Sullivan, and for Master Rex," Loris sighed, looking warily towards the door, then focusing solely on the two vampires. "You tell anyone else your names… Uh, how'm I supposed to address you two, anyway?"

"Only Andrew and Bobby gave their names," the female—Rebecca—answered. She paused, then grinned. "I _was_ Rebecca Stein—Lieutenant Stein, you could say, I suppose. Craig was a looey also, even if he _was_ a jarhead." She cast a teasing glance at her brother, and grinned at his mock-snarl in her direction.

"Lieutenant McElroy, you can call me," he said, turning back to the human. "Do you know where we can find him? We wanted to surprise him; he doesn't know we're coming."

"I know _of_ him; I've never met him. Murphy and Sullivan know him, though I don't know if even they know where he lives. He's not gonna be pissed—sorry, ma'am—ticked off that you're here, is he?"

"I don't think so," the shorter brown-haired man—Watkins—answered. "He hasn't seen them since last fall, when he turned them. Any idea how we can find out where he is?"

Loris looked at them, then came to a decision. "Let me make a call. I know someone who can maybe help you—good thing it's Thursday." He pulled out a cell phone and hit a speed dial, then waited.

_"Ouí?"_

"You know where Master Rex holds Court, Henrí?" Loris asked carefully. "There are some out-of-town visitors here who want to see him. Personal business; I think he'll be appreciative if they're helped."

"Where are they now?" the voice asked with a definite Cajun accent.

"Main police station, Minneapolis."

"You remember my Childe Luc, yes? I will have him dropped off there in… twenty minutes. He will direct them to Master Rex. They have a car?"

"Yeah, they do. They're two of yours, an' two humans, Henrí, an' all have military titles. Just so's ya know."

"Ah, _mercí. _I will warn Luc. Twenty minutes—Does Master Rex know?"

"No; they want to surprise him—good-type surprise, not the military-charging-in bad type."

"Ah, I see. Very well, then. They will be presented at Court tonight. I will mention your help, Detective; Master Rex will not forget."

"Thanks." He ended the call and shrugged. "Yeah, I know about you; first met Henrí last year. But I can see that you know about your people helping the authorities. Your guide will be here in a bit—Do any of you want some coffee, or tea maybe?" Loris offered as he looked over the people still sitting calmly there.

"How many of you know about Master Rex?" Reynard asked in concern.

"Most of Homicide, about half of Vice. Counter-Terrorism's captain knows too, though I don't know how many of her people do. Vamps have been sniffing out terrorists around here like nobody's business. Not that we're admitting that to the Feds, you understand," Loris grinned, and got answering understanding smiles back.

"So… we're safe, then?" Rebecca asked curiously.

"Yup. Presidential protection, so long as only criminals get eaten—discreetly, until we find the bodies, at least. Lots of bagged blood gets sold to vamps, or so I'm told. But we'd best head outside, if you don't want something hot to drink." Loris waved to the door, getting a wry grin back from Reynard.

_"I'd_ like the men's room, actually…"

~oOo~

Rex was actually looking forward to Court tonight. He looked Steve over once more; everything had to be just right, for tonight he was showing his new Childe off to the world. He had a brief surge of guilt, for this was an honor he hadn't been able to accord his other new Childer, but he just shook his head. It had been hard to leave them behind, but it had been for the best. He would publicly acknowledge them once they came home at last. He could only hope they survived to do so.

"He looks good, Master," Taylor said, already shifting his mindset to the more formal mode for Court.

Steve preened under the praise; Sire's Pet was Important, and so was his good opinion, despite the fact that he was a human. Yes, he knew what a human was now, although he still marveled that no one mocked him over that business with Chen. As Sire explained it, he was so newly risen that his demon was still discovering the world around him—he had taken slightly longer than normal, because his body had been so damaged by his illness before his turning. He vowed to excel at everything now, to make up for that, even though Sire didn't seem disappointed with him for that slow start.

So he smiled at Taylor, and let Collins help him on with his heavy coat as Taylor helped his Master. His brother Corey joined them with his Pet, then they loaded themselves into the SUV for the short drive over to Court.

The parking lot outside the old factory building was already jammed with cars, for the Court knew that something special was going on tonight. Rex's spots near his private entrance were clear for his vehicles—someone else only made the mistake of taking those parking places once—so they were soon inside the building.

Rex smiled as he felt the welcome warmth. He'd been in Courts with no heat in winter; it wasn't pleasant. It may have been an unnecessary extravagance to heat the building for vampires, but the Pets were much more comfortable this way. He listened to the buzz of conversation from the vampires gathered there, waiting for him, and he smiled as he looked over his entourage.

"Is everyone ready to face the ravening horde?" he asked with a barely restrained laugh at their answering nods and looks of mock terror. "Well, then, we shall go." He led the way into his audience hall and took his seat, Taylor settling onto a cushion beside his Master, and Corey in a chair at his left, with Dobbs at his side. An empty chair sat at his right, for Steve after his introduction to the Court. He looked out at the vampire households gathered before him and let his pleased smile show. He had risen from the ashes like a phoenix: from a captive of humans, to Master of a good-sized territory in only a year's time. It was an accomplishment to be proud of.

"Any new business or problems?" he asked, planning to settle any unpleasantness before the celebration could start.

"No problems, Master, but there are visitors here tonight, from out of town," Master Henrí Villon said, stepping forward. "They have come to see _you;_ we showed them where you would be tonight."

Rex cocked his head in interest. "Visitors?" he asked, and then he caught the scent of _family_ that he had missed before.

Slowly Craig and Rebecca came forward from the crowd, heeled by their Pets. It was all Rex could do to make himself stay seated. They stopped before him, uncertainty on both of their faces. They bowed deeply, heads canted to one side to expose their necks; their Pets went down to both knees, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

_Now _Rex left his seat, walking down to greet his missing Childer. He went to Craig first, gently biting the offered neck, then offering his own wrist after taking but a mouthful of blood. He could see the relief in his Childe's eyes as he carefully bit and drank a mouthful of his Sire's blood in return. Rex repeated his actions with Rebecca, running a hand over her hair in addition. "Come, my Childer, and meet your brothers," he said, throwing an arm around both young vampires and drawing them towards the front of his hall. "We will talk later, in private," he said in a much softer voice, meant only for them.

Back at his seat, Rex turned to face his Court. "I had meant to present my youngest Childe to you tonight," he announced proudly, "but it seems that I have even more to celebrate now. These are my Childer, Craig and Rebecca, that I turned last year in Afghanistan. And _this,_" he turned to hold a hand back, to gesture him forward, "is my youngest Childe, Steve; he rose two nights ago. See them, all of you, and rejoice with me, for my line is strong, and prospers."

There was applause, laughter, and animated conversation from the gathered vampires at this announcement, and Rex could feel himself nearly swell with pride. He looked back down at the humans, who hadn't moved from where they'd knelt before him; he glanced at Craig. "These are your Pets, from the Nightstalkers?"

"Yes, Sire," Craig admitted, somewhat nervously now.

"Call them forward; show them to me," Rex ordered. "You _have_ marked them, yes?"

"Yes, Sire; carefully, as you showed us," Craig said, finding himself desperate for approval. He looked over at the two men, and Rex could see him take a deep, unneeded breath before complying. "Sire, this is my Pet, Bobby Reynard," he said as the human came closer and knelt once more.

Rex could smell the worry from the man. "And the other is yours, Rebecca?" he prompted.

"Yes, Sire; he is Andrew Watkins… although Bobby calls him Drew sometimes," she said as he joined the other handler, much closer to this wild vampire than he liked. He hadn't expected there to be so many of them.

"They have good manners," Rex said, trying to show his approval. "Pets, you need not go to a full kneel in my court; just 'taking a knee' as is done on patrols will be adequate to show respect. I do not even make my Stable go to both knees."

Behind him, he could hear Taylor chuckle. "Hell, you don't make them kneel at all." He said it softly enough that only those closest to him—Rex and his family—could hear him over the noise now in the Court.

Rex grinned. "You remember my Pet, Taylor, yes? As you can see, he is as spoiled as ever. Come, though, and sit with us; we will go back to a more private room in a little while, once I am sure that no one else needs to speak to me.

"Henrí, a moment of your time, if you would," Rex called to the Cajun Master, still smiling.

"Certainly, Master Rex," he replied as he strolled confidently forward, seeing that his master did not appear upset at the unexpected arrival of his middle Childer. Off to the side, Collins, Nick, and Marc were setting out carafes of warm blood and glasses for the Court; this _was_ a celebration, after all. Several of the lower minions went to help Rex's people with the refreshments.

"Where did you find them?" Rex asked as the other Master settled into the chair that was quickly brought for him.

"Actually, Master Rex, Detective Loris called me―I had given him my phone number some time ago― to see if I could get them here to Court tonight. I'm sure they'll tell you the rest."

"You have a good bit of contact with Loris; have you claimed him?" Rex was curious to see what sort of liberties this Master was likely to take; he had one of the largest Stables of all the Court's Masters.

"No, although I would not be averse to doing so. Have I your permission, Master?" Henrí knew that this could be tricky ground; he didn't want Rex to think that he was trying to build a following to challenge for the territory. Rex was fair; he found himself content to acknowledge the other as his Master, for Rex made no outrageous demands of any of the households under his sway.

Rex thought a moment, then sighed. "You have my permission, but it might not be such a good idea. I would hate to see the humans jockeying for positions of favor, when they are so loosely attached to us. Although I will admit that Murphy and Sullivan have proven to be quite handy to have as—oh, I suppose free-range minions, I might call them." Again Rex could hear Taylor snickering in the background, although this time the human said nothing.

"I'll only take him if he isn't opposed to the idea," Henrí said with a slight bow.

"That will do, then. And thank you, for helping my Childer, Master Henrí. I will not forget," Rex said with a very slight nod of his head.

Smiling, the other vampire withdrew to rejoin his family, allowing others to take his place to offer their own congratulations. Court was officially ended before Rex could get his Childer off by themselves.

"Do you have someplace to stay while you are here?" he asked, for he hadn't learned what brought them into his territory yet.

"No, Sire," Rebecca admitted nervously, but she had no chance to say anything else.

"Collins!" Rex called, pulling the human away from the cleanup. "Have Nick drive you back to the lair, and set up two rooms in the Family wing for my Childer. He can come back and finish up with Marc after he drops you off."

"Yes, Master," Collins said with a deep bow, heading to meet Nick at the private entrance.

"Have you eaten tonight?" Rex asked as he turned his attention back to his visitors.

"We got some of tonight's blood… but our Pets haven't been fed yet," Craig admitted, not happy to realize that their humans had been forgotten in all the confusion.

"We will see them fed once we get home, then."

"Wait—you mean you don't live here?" Craig asked, confused now. "I thought…"

_"You_ have watched too much TV," Rex chuckled. "The lair isn't far from here; this way I do not have to worry about the safety of my Stable during large gatherings with strange minions present. But come; you have quite stolen poor Steve's thunder tonight. We will talk at home, and then I will make it up to him."

Steve perked up at that; he'd been somewhat depressed that these newcomers had gotten so much of everyone's attention. It really sucked to be the baby of the family. Then a slow grin grew on his face; maybe he could talk Sire out of a Pet, after all…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The house was quiet when the two SUV's pulled into the underground garage area. It was too late for the youngest of the Stable to be up—they rarely got back from Court before one o'clock in the morning. Rex noted that Collins had pulled the panel van out of its spot, making room for the Nightstalkers' vehicle to park in shelter. Taking that human for his stable had been the second-best decision he'd made since his capture; Taylor had been the best one. He smiled at himself, at the fancies his mind came up with.

Steve was very quiet, unusual for him. He'd been cracking jokes almost non-stop since the incident with Sammy Chen; tonight, he'd been so disappointed. _That_ was a situation that Rex knew he'd have to fix, but carefully, or he'd have another Joey on his hands. The older vampire knew that his Childe wanted a Pet of his own, like Corey had. After seeing his new siblings, just months older than he, matters were only worse. The problem, of course, was that Steve was just too young; he didn't have the control.

He waited beside the black SUV for his Childer and their Pets to join him. "Welcome home," he said as they walked up, then he turned and entered the lair proper. Steve started to frown at the attention just paid to the two interlopers, then let his features smooth over again. That hadn't been an overly effusive welcome; maybe Sire wasn't all that glad to see them after all.

"C'mon, Steve, let's go see what's what," Nick said as he drew the younger vampire along with him in everyone else's wake.

"Yeah, all right," he agreed, managing not to sound like a sulky brat, by some miracle.

Upstairs in the kitchen, Collins had warm soup ready for the two visiting humans. "It's not much, I'm afraid," he apologized as they settled down and began to eat. "I've got some leftovers in the fridge if you want more than this. I'll see you get a good breakfast whenever you get up. I'm Collins, by the way; Stable Chief."

_"And_ he runs the household," Rex said as he walked over to inspect the rapidly vanishing offered food.

"Sorry, Master; it's all I had time for, after getting the rooms set up," Collins apologized to the vampire for the meager fare given to the guests. "Wouldn't have had even this much ready if Sammy hadn't helped me."

Rex nodded thoughtfully. Sammy was another problem. He'd been quiet since his attempted suicide-by-vampire, having realized the trouble he'd nearly gotten Rex's youngest into once he'd had time to really think about it. Rex had done nothing more to him than to keep him on a tether for two days; tonight was the first time he'd been loose, in fact. Rex thought it safe, now that Steve was more aware of the world around him. His youngest was over the worst of a fledge's initial blood craving, and knew not to bite _any_ of the humans in the household, so Sammy wouldn't be able to trick him again.

"You may leave him loose now, since he seems to have learned his lesson," Rex told Collins, who smiled in relief.

"Thanks, Master. He'll be glad to hear it. You want anything, or something for your Childer?"

"We will serve ourselves, or Taylor and Dobbs can see to us. Go to bed, Collins; you did well tonight." Rex was normally liberal with the praise, but this sounded more heartfelt than usual. Collins just bowed slightly to his Master, then nodded his head to the other vampires present, and withdrew.

Rex looked around. "Taylor, if you want anything, get it, then meet me upstairs in my suite. It's time we learned what's going on here. Corey, Steve, please join us; this could concern the whole Family." Corey, he noted, took the invitation in stride; Steve looked pleased to be included. Rex had to remind himself that Steve had all of a new Childe's insecurities; the sudden appearance of the two older Childer that he'd been made to replace had shaken his confidence badly.

"You can explore the lair tomorrow, after you've rested," Rex told his visitors as he led the way up to his suite. "I hope that young humans do not bother you; my Stable is mostly too young to feed from, and they have the run of the house and grounds. They will inundate you with questions, once they realize that visitors are here. You _are_ just visiting, yes? There is no trouble with your unit?"

He looked at them intently as he settled into his favorite chair. Taylor nudged a cushion over a bit closer, then settled at Rex's feet, leaning against his Master's legs in a way he knew the vampire liked.

"We're just visiting," Craig said with a sigh as he looked around the room curiously. It was simply furnished, with comfortable furniture, not ostentatious, but clearly quality had not been skimped on. He settled on a chair of his own, once Corey and Steve had settled on a small couch near their Sire. Corey's human sat at his feet, much as Taylor did Rex's.

Rebecca curled up at Craig's feet, one arm wrapped around his legs. Their two humans looked on, shifting uncertainly as they stood near the door.

Rex looked at them and frowned, but he held his peace. He would not criticize the way his military Childer interacted with their Pets. "So," he said at last when the silence had lengthened uncomfortably. "Tell me: what brings you back to me, with no warning?"

Rebecca tightened her hold on her brother's legs. "I…I just wanted to see you, Sire. Craig did, too, but we were afraid you wouldn't want us anymore…"

Rex nodded. "Yes; how does the saying go? 'It is easier to seek forgiveness than to ask permission,' I believe. Or that is close enough to fit this situation. I would not have turned you away, or denied you; you are my Childer. I only left you there because I knew you would come to resent being brought away from the life you had chosen for yourselves as living men… humans… whatever." He made a face at himself as he stumbled over word choices but continued, "I could only wish that I had known you were coming; you hurt your youngest brother badly tonight. He knows that he was turned because I missed you two so badly; I never tried to hide that from him. How do you think he feels, now that you have returned, _and_ on the night he was to be acknowledged?"

"I'm… not sure I understand," Craig slowly admitted, looking from Rex to the vampire introduced as Steve.

_"You_ felt… what—neglected? Abandoned?—despite my telling you _why_ I was leaving you there? I even arranged with Master Ripper for companions to be sent to you at your base overseas; they usually only arrange pairings back at their home base, but they made an exception for you. Now, with you here, I have no doubt that Steve fears that he will be cast off as unneeded, extraneous. That is not the case, but his big night has been forever marred in his memory.

"I am glad to see you both, but I am not pleased with you, for you have acted irresponsibly. Now I must make my Pet unhappy while I reassure my youngest—I never wanted to appear to play one Childe off against another to vie for my favor. _You_ have forced that on me…"

"Hey, there's no need to chew them out so," Bobby cut into Rex's tirade, ignoring the Master Vampire's snarl and yellow eyes.

"And were _you_ in on this plot, _human?"_ Rex sneered at the handler, barely keeping from showing fangs at being interrupted that way by one he saw as an outsider.

"No, actually. _We_ thought they'd let you know we were coming; didn't find out otherwise until we got to Saint Paul. And then we learned that they didn't even have your contact info. What else were we supposed to do?"

Rex glowered at him, but he could sense no lie from the man. He got a careful grip on his temper. "I am Master here, a _territorial_ Master, not just Master of a small nest. I am much like a general in your army. I can _not_ appear to be weak, or out of control, _ever._ That risks the lives of all the humans under my protection. You have made me lose face, because I was clearly unaware of my own family's being in town, and on such an important night.

"We are not human, and do not _think_ like humans. You forget this, with vampires living among you like tame hunting-cats. I have heard Nightstalkers refer to those like me as 'wild vamps;' you had best remember that, and realize that we live by different rules, here in the 'wild.'" Rex let his hand fall to Taylor's head, running his fingers through the soft strands of his hair carefully as he struggled to regain his composure. Finally he looked back at his Childer. "Go to bed; I will talk to you later today. Know, though, that I _am_ glad you are here, despite everything said here tonight. You will find two open doors on this hallway; pick whichever of those rooms pleases each of you. Your Pets will sleep there with you; they will not be sent to kennels here.

"Until later, my Childer." Then he rose and headed into his own bedroom, Taylor at his heels as the door closed behind them.

~oOo~

Taylor watched his Master pace back and forth across his bedroom, trying to control his anger. He'd never seen the vampire this agitated in all the months since his release. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, then finally risked speaking. "This was really a big deal for Steve, wasn't it?"

Rex stopped and glared at his Pet, then sighed and flopped down onto the big bed. "Yes, Rob, it was. And now I must try to fix things. I know he wants Chen as his Pet, but he is just too young. I could not interfere even to save his life if I gave him to Steve, and _he_ would be devastated if he killed a Pet by accident."

"Yeah, I get that," Taylor said as he went to curl up against the vampire. "I have a thought, but I'd like to make a phone call first, before I tell you about it."

"Oh? And just who do you wish to call at _this_ hour?" Rex asked after a quick glance at the clock he kept in the bedroom for Taylor's sake.

"I want to talk to someone back at the kids' base—better me than you, I think. If I talk to Downey, it won't be as official as if _you_ spoke to Ripper or Tony."

"That's _Master_ Ripper to you, you rogue," Rex said as he gave Taylor a light slap to the back of his head.

"Only in public, O vamp o' mine," Taylor replied with a grin. "Besides, _someone_ should let them know that the kids got here safe an' sound."

"All right… I suppose you wish to use _my_ phone, yes?" Rex asked with a laugh as he fished his 'special' cell phone out of a pocket and reinserted the battery correctly. He punched in the number from memory, then handed it to Taylor as it started to ring.

"This is Downey, Master Rex; what can we do for you?" Tony's Pet asked as he picked up the call.

_Hooray for caller ID,_ Taylor thought with a chuckle. "It's me: Rob. Just calling to let you know that Rex's Childer got here safely," he said, wondering if any of the Nightstalker vamps were listening in.

"Oh, hey, Taylor. Glad you called; we were wondering," Downey admitted, sounding relieved.

"Yeah, figured the _kids_ wouldn't think to let you know; _we_ didn't always remember when we were younger, either," Taylor laughed briefly, then sobered. "Look, Ben, can I ask you something? A coupla somethings, actually."

"Sure, go ahead. No guarantees I can or will answer, ya understand," the Nightstalker handler responded.

"Fair enough. Okay. First of all, are the kids chipped? I'm pretty sure that Master Rex will want to take them out hunting while they're here; I'd hate to learn about this the hard way, and he'd be pretty pissed if they got zapped because we didn't know. I doubt they'll think to warn us if they are."

"Oh, you know them so well," Downey laughed back. "You musta been a real hell-raiser as a teenager; you think like a vamp. Anyway, yes they are. All minions and Childer are chipped here; it's SOP. Their handlers carry a remote so that they can turn the chips on and off, as needed or as circumstances warrant. Craig's been zapped a couple'a times since they came back; Becka hasn't. _She's_ a real sweetheart, even as a vamp; Craig seems to think he's got somethin' to prove."

"Okay; thanks for the heads-up. Next question." Now Taylor took a deep breath before continuing. "Did anyone there know that the kids _didn't_ have any contact info for Rex?"

_"What?!" _But… They got there okay, right?" Downey gasped in shock.

"Yeah, they got here. But it's a good thing that Master Rex has connections within the local PD. Someone there contacted one of Rex's under-Masters, who brought them out to Court tonight. Trust me, the kids are in deep, _deep_ kim-chee for not letting their Sire know they were coming."

"Oh, hell… I'd have called and let you know myself, if I'd'a known that," Downey said unhappily. "How pissed off is your Master?"

"Could be worse; we'll work it out. How long can they stay—officially, I mean? At this point, I don't really trust what they say. Oh, and are they sleeping with their Pets, or are they just marked companions? The two humans with the kids, I mean."

"Don't know about that last, although I suspect that they're just marked companions," Downey admitted. "As for their leaves, they can probably stay five or six weeks before they need to head back. They still have some classes they need to go through with the trainers here. Scent training, you know?"

"Yeah. Explosives an' stuff, right? Okay. Thanks a lot, Ben; I appreciate it. I'll call you when they leave here, so's you know when to start worrying," Taylor said with another laugh.

"Riiight. Talk atcha later, then," Downey responded, then disconnected the call.

Taylor looked at Rex. "Okay, so now we know what's what. And if nothing else, they'll catch it once they get back to their unit."

_"You_ are an evil man, Rob," the vampire purred as he grabbed his Pet and rolled over with him on the bed. "Now, what was it you were thinking, about Steve?"

"Umm, yeah; about that." Taylor hesitated briefly, somewhat distracted as Rex snuffled and licked at his neck. "I was just thinking that Steve needs something real special, after his night was sorta ruined. He can't have a Pet yet—_I'll_ explain about the chips to him later; I don't think he'll envy the kids so much after that. But… _if_ you would allow it, and monitor him _very_ closely, I was thinking of offering him a taste. Just an arm, Master; I won't ever let anyone but you bite my neck," Taylor hurried to say as he felt his vampire freeze. "If _he_ doesn't lick the bite closed, but _you_ do, I won't carry any of his scent. And no one but the three of us need ever know about it, if you don't want them to." Taylor squirmed around until he could see Rex's face. He wasn't in gameface; in fact, he looked more thoughtful than angry.

"This is a _huge_ thing you are proposing, Rob," the vampire finally said, pulling back slightly from his human for this serious discussion. "Pets are almost never shared, except sometimes with one's Line-Sire, unless they are not truly valued, or the one sharing is very special indeed. I believe that Steve's demon is aware enough now to know this."

"Yeah; well, a really big fuss got made over Craig and Rebecca, an' it don't sound like they really deserved it. Everyone here is bound to learn that sooner or later; it's likely to make your youngest feel even worse, unless we do something really big for him. Vamps aren't all that different from humans in that respect."

_"I_ had just thought to let him sleep here with me tonight, although that would have left you sleeping alone," Rex admitted slowly. "That is not all _that_ special, though. But what you have suggested… You must tell him about the chips first; I will confirm it, if he doubts you. Yes?"

"Fair enough," Taylor agreed, trying to hide his nervousness now that his suggestion had been accepted. This would be the young fledge's first taste of _fresh_ human blood… but Rex wouldn't let him go too far; Taylor had no doubts about that at all. "You want me to go get him for you?"

"Maybe later," Rex said, devoting his attention fully to his Pet now. And Taylor's last coherent thought was that it would be much, much later indeed.

~oOo~

"So ya see, that's why they can have Pets, an' how even Corey learned to be careful with humans, Steve," Taylor finished his explanation. "It wasn't due to any great control or early maturity on their part; they learned early, through pain. _You_ get to do it the right way: through experience, over time."

Rex had sat by during this talk about control chips, although he didn't say anything. He was waiting for his Childe to draw the obvious connection. _Three, two…_

"Wait. If you met _Sire_ there…" Steve began, then shut up with an unhappy frown.

"Yeah, they chipped Master Rex also." Taylor sighed as he admitted that. "He lived like that for almost two years, Steve. He was a lot older than most of the other vamps there, though. _He_ had already developed control, so he didn't get zapped often. And I was lucky; I was one of the first humans brought there to take care of the vamps, and knew a good thing when I first laid eyes on him. _Our_ group wasn't good, like Craig and Rebecca's is; our officers mistreated our vamps. I turned your Sire loose to save him from some real bastards who'd been in charge; they would have killed him, slowly and in agony. That's when _his_ chip was disabled permanently― no on-again, off-again like Craig's and Rebecca's. It dropped me into some really deep shit, too. He came back for me, forced the military to give me up. Now I'm here with him, an' that's where I want to be. I trust him to have the control not to hurt me by accident."

Steve visibly restrained a rant, no doubt about all this emphasis on _control._ He _had_ control… Then he remembered his first feeding from his Sire, how Sire had staggered out of the room. _Had_ he taken too much? If humans were so fragile, would he have killed one then? He thought about that, and realized that his demon rejoiced at the thought of a human dying under his fangs… "I understand… I guess," he finally allowed unhappily. "An' I _do_ see why you won't let me have a Pet." That admission was harder, but necessary. At least they'd brought him into Rex's suite, with no one else there, to tell him.

"You know," Taylor carefully said, "you're not the only one here who longs for the dedication and care a Pet offers. Nick may be only a minion, but even he gets lonely. He knows he isn't all that safe once he starts feeding, though. And it'd be embarrassing to have someone standing over your shoulder every time you fed, making sure you didn't take too much."

"He hangs around the Stable unsupervised," Steve said, but it wasn't really a protest anymore, just an observation.

Rex shrugged. "I see that he does not go hungry. That, and fear of what I would do to him should he bite, lets him show restraint. I am not his Sire; I do not know how he was treated as a fledge. Some masters can be quite cruel to their minions; I was also, when I was younger. It is just that I have learned a better way. A slightly gentler touch does not mean that one is weak."

"No, Sire, _you_ are definitely _not_ weak," Steve was very quick to agree. His demon squirmed nervously; Sire was the antithesis of weak.

Rex just smiled calmly at his youngest Childe, his human leaning up against him. "So now do you understand why I say you cannot have a Pet right now?"

"Yes, Sire," Steve replied in resignation, his face downcast, although he tried to pull up a smile. "But you're glad to see them, though, even if they're chipped," he added as a semi-peace offering.

"Yes, even if I am _very_ annoyed with them. At least they did not lie to _me,"_ Rex confirmed, then smiled warmly at Steve. "Last night was supposed to be _your_ night, and very special. That did not happen, due to their arrival, and I have been trying to think of what to do to help you understand just how special you are to me. Yes, I chose to turn you because I missed them… but they are going to go back to the military in a month or so. _You_ are staying here with me, where I wish you to be. Rob has thought of a way that I can show you just how much I wish to keep you, Steve; it is something that I would never allow anyone else to do. I would _kill_ any other who did this, not that anyone with any sense would even try."

Steve looked at his Sire in confusion, but it was Taylor who pushed himself upright now and slipped his long-sleeved shirt up and off over his head. He offered his arm to the young vampire. "Steve, you've never had the chance to bite a live human, an' no vamp but Rex has ever bitten me. None will, if I have _my_ say… except you, this once. Rex will make sure you don't take too much; you just have to let your Sire lick the bite closed, an' don't nick your lips on your fangs, so's you don't get any of _your_ blood in the bite. I can't carry your scent after this; it would reflect poorly on your Sire, y'know?"

Steve's eyes grew comically large in his head at the offer; he looked at Rex to make sure that this was truly allowed.

"Be gentle when you bite, my Childe; do not lunge, for Taylor will not pull back from you," Rex said as he cradled Taylor in protective arms. He was already in gameface, and watched as Steve carefully changed his face also. The younger vampire still looked at his Sire uncertainly, but he took a careful grasp on the proffered arm and drew it closer to his face.

The human offered no resistance, so Steve took a careful sniff, detecting mild anxiety; he licked the crook of Taylor's elbow, getting his first taste of a human's skin. The human flinched, but didn't pull back.

"Tickles," Sire's Pet offered as an explanation.

Steve licked the arm once more, firmer this time. An instinct that he hadn't realized he possessed said that this was what he should do before biting, if he meant not to kill. He didn't know why; he would ask later. Now, though, he carefully placed his fangs over the warmest spot on that arm, where he could sense the hot blood running so near to the surface. As gently as possible, he bit down.

Hot, hot blood flowed into his mouth, causing him to swallow reflexively. It was so sweet, with a _zing_ to it very unlike the blood he'd tasted from bags. He swallowed a second, then a third mouthful of this ambrosia, not wanting the flow to stop, _ever…_

"Steve, enough. _Enough,_ I say!"

That was Sire's voice… Steve pulled away in confusion, not sure just what had come over him. He watched as the older vampire carefully licked the wound closed, his blood from a nicked tongue mixing in the wound to give the human his mystical scent and help the healing. Slowly Steve's demon subsided, and he realized that his Sire had been right. He _wasn't_ ready to try to keep a Pet; he would have killed Taylor if Rex hadn't stopped him. "Sire, I'm _so_ sorry," he moaned in distress at that thought.

"Steve, I'm fine," Taylor said, running a hand over the young vamp's shoulders, much as he had Rex's back in the beginning. "You didn't hurt me—you have a nice, gentle bite, actually."

"I am proud of you, Childe," Rex offered his own reassurances. "You stopped when I told you; I did not have to pull you away. And the first taste of a live human's blood is intoxicating… I can still remember _my_ first kill…" He held Taylor closer to him, snuffling at his Pet's neck, although he wouldn't bite right now.

"Thank you, Sire," Steve said, his eyes lowered in submission now. "I'm honored… and you're very lucky, I think. He's delicious."

"Yes, he is," Rex laughed, then ruffled his Childe's hair. "We will go hunting; I will teach you to search out your proper prey, and how to kill—although we will have to go elsewhere if you are to learn to use your fangs. Here, in _my_ cities, you must use a knife and _never_ bite… But I will teach you."

Steve glanced at the human in Sire's arms, but Taylor didn't seem at all distressed at this talk of killing other men. It made _him_ hungry… "Sire, can I go eat now?" he asked, drawing laughter from Rex and Taylor.

"Yes, Steve; we will heat you some blood downstairs, now that you've had your treat."

"I can't tell anyone, can I?" he said, as the full implications of the honor he'd just been accorded struck him.

"No, I am afraid not." Rex was carefully watching Steve as he said that, hoping that he wouldn't take that as a rejection.

"Okay, then," the younger vamp said, his voice growing more cheerful and contented as he thought about it further. His smile grew then. "Thanks, Taylor. You know, you really _do_ taste good."

"So Master Rex keeps telling me," Taylor drolly replied, totally relaxed back against his vamp. The human's contentment lightly scented the air. He looked more closely at Steve, then grinned. "Better go wash your face before you go downstairs; you've got some blood on your chin."

"No. Come here, Childe; _I_ will get it." Rex pulled his Childe closer, so he leaned up against Taylor's warmth also, then licked the blood off Steve's chin. He gave him a kiss of approval, then pushed him back. "Go; _eat_… You are a growing vampire."

He left to the warm laughter of his Sire, and his Sire's favored human, thinking that he was a truly lucky vampire to have such a wonderful Sire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"We really messed up, didn't we?" Rebecca chi-Rex sat down heavily on the bed in the "guest room" she'd walked into and looked at Andrew in dismay.

"Yeah, sweetie, I think you did," the human agreed as he quietly closed the door behind himself. "That doesn't even begin to cover what this did to that young one—Steve, your Sire called him. An' you thought _you_ felt insecure…"

"I know. How do we fix it now, though?" She chewed on her lower lip as she thought, but finally just shook her head. "Sometimes I think that Craig and I aren't real vampires, me especially. Oh, we have the fangs and the 'wrinklies,' as I've heard it referred to, but the _culture…_ We've missed out on a lot, going straight into the Nightstalkers the way we did. Sire _tried_ to tell us all he could before he left, but we keep stepping wrong, know what I mean?"

Her human settled into a comfortable club-type chair and sighed. "I've seen how some of the others back at base assume that you know stuff that you don't," he admitted. He waved around the well-appointed bedroom. "This, right here, is a prime example. There's only the one bed; where'm _I_ supposed to sleep?"

She snickered at that. "I know the answer to _that_ question: with_ me._ The bed's nice and big, and soft. And there's an electric blanket on it; I can feel the wires in it under me. I know a _lot_ of the handlers sleep with their vamps when they're back at base; _we_ can smell it on them, even if they don't talk about it. I think that the only ones who _don't_ are Lillie and Craig and I. And _that_ may be because we're the babies of the group."

Andrew froze. "But… most of the vamps are male, an' so're their handlers."

"So?" she asked, looking puzzled. "I know _humans_ are funny about that, but _we_ don't care. Why don't you want to sleep with _me,_ Andrew? Don't you like me?"

He colored deeply at that. He had been recruited specifically for her, so she would have someone medically oriented with her, someone she could relate to, could work beside. He was new to the program, and to the concept that vampires were real, and there were _some_ things about them that he still had a hard time accepting—their easy sexuality, for one. "Sweetie, I _like_ you just fine," he said carefully. "The problem is, I have a girlfriend already, one I haven't been able to see in 'way too long. _And,"_ he forestalled what she'd been about to say, "she doesn't know about vampires."

"I still don't see what difference that makes," she said, confused, not sulking. "I don't think I'll mind you sleeping with her too; I'm not as possessive as a Master."

"Maybe you're not, but _she_ would see it as cheating on her… and so would I," he admitted with a sigh. "They didn't tell me about this part when they recruited me."

"Oh, great; so I've messed up _again!"_ she nearly wailed in distress. "Why can't I do this right?!"

He went to her side, knowing that he was about to make a _big_ mistake. "Sweetie, you're doing just fine. _I'm_ the one with the problem, okay? If I didn't love Sherrie, I'd sleep—hell, I'd do more than just sleep with you in a heartbeat."

She looked at him, misery in her eyes. "Just go to sleep, Andrew," she finally whimpered and crawled under the covers, not even bothering to undress or change for bed. She turned her back to him, as firm a rejection as she could manage. _Sire's_ Pets were willing; she would not take this one to bed, since _he_ clearly was not.

Andrew sighed and rubbed his hand over his short-cropped hair in disgust. _Great; not only is she in trouble with her Sire, but she's pissed at _me_ now, too. I didn't just mess up; I messed up _royally._ Some support _I_ turned out to be._ He rose and went back to the overstuffed chair, pulling a colorful throw over himself to try to get some sleep. He wasn't looking forward to the morning at all; he was going to be stiff as all hell...

~oOo~

Craig was sulking, still chafing under the dressing-down Sire had given them. He'd thought Sire would be pleased to see them; who was this Steve, the last turned, to deny _them_ their due? His demon was still muttering rebelliously in his head when Bobby closed the bedroom door.

The human looked around the room and mentally sighed. There would be no avoiding the vampire tonight, no excuses for not sleeping with him. He'd heard all the explanations at base before getting his own vamp, had seen all the training vids and spoken to the other, claimed handlers. Out in the field they slept separately; back at base, while each handler had his own bedroom, most nights the men slept with their vampires. They claimed that it helped to stabilize the vamps. He hadn't yet. "Craig, how would you have felt if he'd ignored you after acknowledging you? If everyone there only made a fuss over Steve?" Bobby asked as he went over and sat on the side of the bed.

"They wouldn't have," Craig snapped back, his mood foul. "He's the last turned; he's got lower status—or he _should_ have." He prowled up and down the length of the bedroom, too agitated to settle in any one spot. He could feel his human's eyes on him, studying him.

"That's not the point," Bobby argued back. _Damn, but this kid could be stubborn._ "You two shoved him back into the shadows, an' he didn't deserve that. It was like… like he was being given an award, a medal for something, but then someone else came in and got it instead, after he'd been all primed to receive it."

Craig froze, replaying the scene at Court in his mind. Sire and Corey sitting in grand chairs up on a dais at the front of the hall, their Pets sitting at their feet, and one other grand chair, sitting empty at Rex's other side. _One_ empty chair. Then they'd come in, and he'd suddenly had _three_ new Childer to present. "Oh, shit," he breathed softly. That chair had been quickly removed, and three regular ones put there instead; two beside Rex himself, which he and Becka had taken without consulting anyone, as if it were their right, and one on the other side of Corey, which Steve had sat in… Most of the vamps coming up to talk to Rex after that had said a word or two to them also; few had paid Steve any attention. Oh, shit, indeed. He might very well have made an enemy for life. _Now_ he understood why Sire had been so pissed off at them. "Yeah, I get it now, Bobby," he said, regret in his voice as he started to strip for bed. He wandered into the _en suite_ to wash up, carefully brushing both teeth and fangs, then came back and crawled under the covers, naked.

Slowly Bobby rose and did likewise, although he pulled clean underwear out of his bag and put those on before getting into bed also. The thought crossed his mind that Andrew wouldn't be able to avoid Becka now, not if her room was like this one. He tried to imagine _that_ scene, but drifted off to sleep before he'd gotten very far.

Craig, though, lay awake for quite some time before he found the comfort of sleep himself.

~oOo~

Rex was actually in a good mood when he went down to the kitchen to finally heat himself up some blood. He sat at the table, sipping the warm, viscous liquid as he sorted through the day's mail. Suddenly he paused, the mug nearly to his lips for another sip as he stared at a thick envelope with the return address of the state Board of Education. A low growl rumbled in his chest, all unnoticed by him, but it caused Collins to turn away from the stove and stare.

Yes, there sat his Master, in full gameface, just glaring at an envelope.

That was the tableau that Taylor and the Childer walked in on. Craig and Rebecca were puzzled; Steve looked concerned, for he'd learned in his time there as a human that Rex rarely got that upset over anything. Only Collins and Taylor had the temerity to approach the angry vampire.

Collins took the forgotten mug out of his hand, so he didn't spill the remaining blood all over everything and get even madder. Taylor went behind his vampire and began to rub circles on his shoulders and back, much as he'd done years before. It had never failed to soothe Rex; it didn't fail now. Everyone else maintained a careful silence as they waited to discover what was wrong.

"Whatcha got, O my lord an' Master?" Taylor asked as he felt the tight muscles relax under his practiced fingers.

"The damned Board of Education sent me something," the vampire snarled in reply, still giving the unopened envelope the "evil eye."

_As if that would scare it away…_ Taylor managed not to snicker at that thought. "Ummm, not that I really believe this, but that _might_ be nothing," he offered in as hopeful a voice as he could manage. "You know they said they'd send their findings to you in a report. Why don't we go back up to th' suite, so's you can curse all ya want when ya open th' stupid thing?"

"Look around you; do you _see_ a single Stable Kid _anywhere_ near here? They have all sought cover," Rex snarled back, but his heart wasn't in it now; humor lurked in his green eyes.

_That_ was an odd look, Taylor thought as he studied his Master: fangs, ridges, and _green_ eyes instead of gold. He hadn't thought that the demon could do _that_ combination…

"Could be just because we have guests in the house. You know they c'n be shy around strangers at first."

Rex just _looked_ at his Pet, until Taylor finally couldn't keep from grinning. "Nah, I don't really think so, either."

"Sire, why is the school board sending you letters?" Rebecca asked, carefully keeping her voice soft and non-threatening.

Steve looked at her. "Our Sire has human children here; the authorities found out about them, so they were told that this is a privately operated runaway shelter. Naturally, they had to stick their noses further in where they weren't wanted, and came to inspect the place."

"Be glad you missed _that_ party; it wasn't fun in the least," Collins grumbled, back over at the stove.

"Yeah. And _now_ we get t' see how they want to try t' fuck things up around here." Taylor made no apologies for his language, although he usually watched his mouth when women were around.

Rex had finally opened the unwelcome envelope; his visage grew blacker as he read through the contents. Finally he threw the pages down on the table in disgust. "Those interfering busybodies are threatening to shut me down unless I meet their demands!" he raged, infuriated at their tactless audacity.

Taylor just picked up the sheets and started reading through them, passing the pages on to Dobbs, who'd come to see what all the shouting was about.

"Acknowledged curriculum… State-certified teacher on site, or a state-accredited tutor…" Dobbs muttered as he skimmed over the letter himself, reading the options they'd given. Finally, he set the pages down and went to pour himself a cup of coffee. He sat at the table and looked at the Lair's Master thoughtfully. "Okay. For starters, they're not gonna do anything right away, so long as you show that you mean to try to meet their demands. Even _these_ closed-minded jerks realize that it'll take some time to change things. So. The quickest thing to fix—and the easiest—is the homeschooling situation. They're giving you three options there: Hire a state-certified tutor, join a local homeschooling association, or enroll the kids in an accredited school that provides support for homeschooling. The third option costs more, but as long as the kids pass their tests, they'll pretty much leave you to your own devices. There'll be meetings that someone will have to go to for option two, but Taylor, Collins, or I can do that for you. "A certified teacher may be somewhat harder to cope with, but even _that's_ doable. What it means, though, is either we have some stranger here, again sticking their nose into everything, or… How much education does everyone here have?" Dobbs looked at the adults gathered in the room curiously. "I've got two years of night classes at a community college for Library Science. That doesn't count for much though. That's why I joined the Marines; I couldn't earn a living outta what I'd taken. I figured to use the GI bill to go back to school full time once I got out."

Taylor shook his head. "I joined the Army right out of high school. And Craig and Rebecca, and their humans, can't help; they have to go back to the Nightstalkers. That really cuts down on our options."

"Marc, Sammy, and I are in about the same boat as you, Rob. We may have some night classes under our belts, but not enough to do us any good either," Collins said, coming back over to join them.

"I do not know about Nick, but Corey was turned right after high school, so I assume that this will be up to me," Rex said, nodding in understanding and acceptance. "I, at least, have been to university. It has been a long time since I had my formal schooling, but I was a solicitor before I was turned. Going to classes will be difficult, though." He watched as the household relaxed around him.

"You're what, Master—a hundred and fifty or so years old? As a vampire? And… thirtyish as a human? With everything you've seen, you could go for a major in history—American history, Civil War and Reconstruction, something like that. As a solicitor, you would already have a graduate degree, so you can specialize." Taylor was becoming enthusiastic now.

"You could probably do most of your classes online, even," Collins added, looking thoughtful, then grinned. "The ones you don't manage to CLEP out of, that is," he added with a laugh.

"CLEP out of?" Rex asked, confused now.

"Sure. If you take what amounts to the final exam for a course, and pass it, then you don't have to take that class. You'd still have to suffer through a certain number of classes, but we can help you with anything you don't understand about how the schools are run now. And a lot of the online schools have proctored locations for tests. With the number of working adults who go back to school, these places are even open at night—well, early evening, anyway. Lots of people take night classes; those are usually adults who've been working for a while. They _want_ to be there, to learn, so you don't have to contend with the kids who're more interested in the social aspects of college."

The vampire studied his Stable chief once Collins had finished his explanation. It sounded like this might just work… He let a smile cross his face now. "So, how do I get into one of these schools?"

"First we need to see just how thorough a cover Master Ripper's people provided for you before your escape. We need to see if they gave a school history for you," Taylor elaborated. "Colleges are gonna want school transcripts before admitting you. It'll have to be done if hasn't been already; the government is good at creating airtight legends, though."

"They've had enough practice," Steve muttered quietly, drawing chuckles from the others as he had hoped.

"So find me my 'school history,' then," Rex commanded, trying to sound stern. He only got more laughter as Dobbs sent for young Eric, their resident computer whiz-kid and unacknowledged hacker.

~o~

He was from an old, wealthy family, had a good school history, _and_ a career in the military also, Rex discovered. Apparently they had found his old records as Julius Alexander and had modified and/or updated them. His military career was cause for amusement: it was in the legal department, mostly dealing with base housing in the States, and with family-related issues overseas. He had even, according to those ersatz records, risen to the rank of major. After that, he'd gone to the College of William and Mary in Virginia and gotten his law degree. He was amused to find that, in many cases, his actual grades had been put into the new records. Dobbs and Collins whistled when they saw all that; Taylor laughed outright. "That's some record, Rex, considering that, according to this, you weren't that great a student in high school."

Rex shrugged and answered with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I was _bored _in high school."

That drew even more laughter.

"Okay," Taylor said, growing serious. "Next thing we need to do is look into the homeschooling associations available. You know, see which ones would cause us the fewest problems over curricula and book lists."

"Book lists shouldn't be a problem," Dobbs said. "Most of those are just recommendations, guidelines for the first-timers." He shrugged. "I stumbled on one of 'em online, and started digging more just out of curiosity. If you use one of the accredited schools, they'll even provide things like record-keeping and testing, which should satisfy the B of E."

Corey was there now; he'd been quiet for so long that no one had noticed him. "You're gonna _hafta_ keep records on those kids, Sire," he finally said slowly. "That means there'll be a paper trail, an' Social Services will find some of their missing runaways. An' once they identify _one_ here, they'll come crashing in like a herd of elephants, unless we do something to forestall them."

Rex and Taylor looked at each other. With a sigh, Rex pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Finally, it was answered. "Hello, my Jag," Rex said. "I have a problem."

~oOo~

The problem was that Minnesota law required that all home-schooled children had to be reported annually, their names and birth dates submitted to the school board, along with quarterly report cards. Williamson, the JAG lawyer, wracked his brains over that. The kids in foster care turned out not to be so much of a problem, although the fact that several had crossed state lines to get to Minneapolis made things a bit trickier. Most of the social services agencies were so overwhelmed that they readily assigned those cases to Rex, at the urging of his lawyer. The kids with biological and/or step-parents were harder. Some of those parents were actually worried about the kids, although most were only worried what those kids might tell the authorities about what went on in those homes. Despite being told that their children were safe, well cared-for, and receiving a good education, a few of the parents were reluctant to give their consent. But the JAG was persistent; eventually, Rex had guardianship of his whole Stable. The kids' previous school records were easy to obtain after that.

They sat in the office, Rex and Williamson, as the last of the school records arrived. The human watched as the vampire calmly filed them away with the others. "You know, Rex, you're gonna have to get a civilian lawyer one of these days. My CO's getting pretty pissed that I have to keep running up here to fix things for you; I'm not getting my other cases worked on," he said, wondering how the Master Vampire would take this.

Rex just shrugged. "So get out of the military. _You_ are my lawyer, as you are _mine._ I already have a civilian lawyer for obtaining property and other civil matters, but she does not know about vampires. Do you wish me to spread it about the city that we exist?"

"No, of course not!" Williamson protested.

"Tell me, is your CO 'read in' about me?"

"I… don't think so," the lawyer replied hesitantly.

"Then _that_ is the problem. Truthfully, my JAG, I do not _wish_ another lawyer; you know how to get things done, quickly and quietly. That is, after all, why I claimed you as my own. Besides, you are not finished here. There are other children to be reassigned as you did for those here."

"Other kids… _what_ other kids?" the lawyer demanded in concern.

"This is not the only Stable in the Twin Cities with young humans," Rex calmly announced, to the lawyer's shock. "My under-Masters are building up Stables, much as I am, and stocking them the same way that I did. Their facilities are not as elaborate as my own, but they are still well cared-for; I inspect them periodically to ensure that. Those children are also being educated; I will maintain their records here, with those of my own Stable, once this home-school is set up."

"Rex, how many kids are we talking about?"

"Truthfully, my Jag, I do not know. But I will take you to the other six households, so you may inspect them and interview the children for yourself. I have already notified my under-Masters to expect us; you might have a language problem at one of the lairs, but I believe Henrí has a translator."

"Transla… the missing women and kids from the terrorist cells."

"Yes. Those are all in one Stable," Rex confirmed. "While there are some concerns over that, we are watching them closely. Henrí will not allow them to turn to extreme forms of their religion, I guarantee that. But we will see those last. We will head out to the first once it is dark. First, though, your mark needs to be renewed."

~oOo~

General Scarborough, the Army JAG CO, stared at the DHS(1) representative in shock. "You're shittin' me," was his unsophisticated response to the vampires-are-real lecture.

"I'm afraid not, General," Agent Paul Demetriou replied. "They're real, and some of them work for us. They've been helping us run down terrorist cells; one called Master Rex in particular, and those under him, have been extremely helpful in that regard. As such, they're covered under the Patriot Act, and _that,_ along with the fact that we don't want to cause a panic among the rest of the population, is why their existence is so highly classified. It's also why we try to be as accommodating of their needs as we can.

"Captain Williamson has been working with him; he's the only one Master Rex will deal with now." He grinned. "I imagine repeating the explanations for every new human gets as tiring for him as it does for us. The big difference there is, he might rip your throat out if he gets too annoyed."

"So this means… what? I'm supposed to let Williamson drop everything and go running whenever Master Rex snaps his fingers?"

Demetriou drew a deep breath. "Essentially, yes, I'm afraid," he said.

"And what about his caseload? I can only redistribute so much before the rest of my people get overloaded. Some of them are already starting to resent the situation."

"I understand, and I may have a solution. We have been authorized to create a new slot, that of DHS liaison, and assign Captain Williamson to it. Then you'll have a free slot to transfer in another lawyer to handle the cases that otherwise would go to Williamson, and he'll be free to devote his full attention to Master Rex…_and_ his under-Masters—I'm told that's like liegemen in medieval times. As it's been explained to me, vampires operate under a feudal system.

"Of course, if Williamson isn't needed in that capacity, he can take on or assist with other cases, with the understanding that he'll have to set them aside when Master Rex calls on him."

Scarborough shook his head. "I need a drink," he groaned. Life had just become more complicated than he had ever imagined.

~oOo~

It was far easier to enroll in one of the on-line colleges than Rex had expected, much as Collins had predicted. In the end, they all signed up for classes of some sort. Dobbs signed up for English literature and library science again; Rex enrolled in his first education theory classes and began to brush up on basic history. His first waiver exams were applied for and test dates assigned. For _that_ he let none of his nervousness show; after all, vampires didn't worry about mere human tests-on-paper. Getting the transcripts sent out was the hardest part of the process.

Williamson did some fancy legal dancing and had Corey's, Marc's, and Steve's military records redacted and sealed, since they were dead according to those records. Marc decided to take classes in landscaping; he had enlisted in the military to avoid working in his father's landscaping business, and found it ironic that he was taking classes in that very thing now. Still, _someone_ had to care for the grounds of the Lair; who better than he and Sammy?

And Steve secretly preened, for Craig and Rebecca couldn't do _this_ for Sire; _they_ had to go back to the Nightstalkers soon, for classes of their own that would do nothing to help the lair in general.

~oOo~

Rex sat back in his seat in one of his smaller audience rooms, where a conference table had been installed for this meeting. His six under-Masters sat down around it, trying not to look uneasy at this change from a usual court session, for even their Childer had been excluded from this gathering.

"All right," he announced as the last one took his waiting chair. "You have all met my Jag, and he has seen all the young humans in your Stables and has spoken to them all. We will be keeping records of their progress in their studies from now on; I will be maintaining those records here, for they are to be enrolled in an official school, which will actually provide materials and curricula for home-schooling. My Jag is smoothing the way for you, so that the authorities do not go looking for your people." He waited as Dobbs quietly passed around folders to each of the vampires present, then stepped back to the side of the room and silently knelt there once more. He was the only human present, included in the meeting only because he oversaw Rex's Stable Kids as their "tutor." Not even Taylor was present in this soundproofed room.

Once Dobbs had returned to his place, Rex resumed speaking. "You have before you folders containing the approved curricula that must be met," he informed them; the look he gave each said that arguments would not be tolerated. "Naturally, you may go beyond these guidelines; these are just the _minimum_ acceptable requirements. I have examined the books recommended and have marked the ones that I found acceptable. I have ordered them; they should be arriving soon and will be given to you here in Court once they do. You will be responsible for providing the laptops and peripherals needed for each student, and for seeing that you have internet service if you do not have it already."

"But, Master Rex, I thought we were supposed to keep our Stables from official notice altogether," Master Tonya protested weakly, her brown eyes puzzled.

He sighed. "I know. But they are being prepared to go out into the world if they choose to do so later. They will need school records to do that, and this is the safest way for _us._ They have all been assigned as your wards legally; my Jag has seen to that. Social Services will not bother you, as their records now say that the military's Family Services department is overseeing their cases. At least that is what it says _on paper._" He looked around at them and grinned, and they relaxed as they realized that no one, beyond Master Rex himself, would _actually_ be inspecting, or interfering with their young humans. "The only drawback to this new setup is that _all_ the Stables must go to a central location once a year for testing on their progress. This is because the testing must be overseen by a state official. I will be arranging for security for that location, to ensure that no stupid humans try to make off with your children. It will probably be done at my own lair, since, unfortunately, they already know where that is. I will admit that _I_ am not happy about this requirement myself, but it cannot be circumvented.

"I _would_ like to know what sort of educational skills any of your Childer, minions, or kept humans might have. I have an adult Spanish-speaker in my Stable, and one of my Childer's Pets knows a good bit about literature. _We_ are all old enough to have seen quite a bit of American history first-hand; I will be contacting Master Spike of Aurelius to see if he would agree to preparing some materials on European history."

"Ah, I see what you wish," Master Henrí de Delacroix said with a pleased grin. "My Childe Luc and I can tutor in French, and one of my Stable women is actually quite well educated; she could, perhaps, teach Farsi to the children, if desired."

"I have one that seems quite skilled with instruments; she could provide music lessons," Master Camilla del Rio Negro offered, and Rex smiled. These young humans would get a good classical education _despite_ the Minnesota school board, after all.

**Notes**

(1) Department of Homeland Security


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Rex sat in his seat up on the dais, bored and distracted. He would be taking tests in a few days, to find out just what classes he could CLEP out of. It seemed wrong, somehow, to try to avoid doing actual coursework, but if this would expedite obtaining that all-important teaching certificate, he would do what he had to do. At least it would be held at night.

A stir at the rear of the main audience chamber drew his attention. The cause of the commotion swaggered in, self-assurance firmly in place, leather duster billowing out behind him. Rex could tell that the bleached-blond had been prepared to find fault at the state of his Court, but he knew that it was well-run, clean and orderly, and nothing to sneer at.

He stood to greet his visitor. "Master Spike of Aurelius," he called calmly as the other vampire came up to the dais. Taylor stayed on his cushion quietly, but he was ready to scramble out of the way should things suddenly get violent. Corey, on Rex's other side, rose to his feet also, purportedly to greet the visitor, but carefully watching his Sire out the corner of his eye for any cues.

"Master Rex. Classy setup ya got 'ere. We need t' talk, though, yeah?"

"Certainly. I have a private room back here," Rex said calmly, leading the way to his smaller conference room. He'd had the table and chairs left there, with more comfortable seating placed back against the farther wall. He waited for Corey, Dobbs, and Taylor to enter, then looked back to where Spike still stood. "Coming?"

"Right," the Aurelian said, surprised by this easy acquiescence. He followed them, amidst the curious speculations of the Court. The heavy door shutting cut off their murmuring voices.

"So, Master Spike, what can we do for you here?" Rex asked as he settled into his own chair, Taylor at his feet. "Care for something to eat while we talk? I can have some blood heated for you—it is bagged, but human."

"Blood'd be good," Spike agreed as he sprawled down into one of the other chairs. Corey went to heat it instead of one of the Pets, again surprising the visiting vampire by their ready deference to his rank. Spike waited until he'd taken his first sip before continuing. "Bloody wankers in the military have me playin' their bleedin' gofer again," he admitted in disgust. "Tossers seen how good your boys're doin' 'ere, 'gainst the terrorists an' all. They're tryin' t' see if they can get some vamps int'rested in the other cities—send some Childer for trainin', like."

"So?" Rex asked in confusion. "What does this have to do with me? As you say, _we_ are already doing this."

"Wankers think the others'll be more willin', you send one o' yours in for trainin'. They _know_ you're not real fond o' th' military, yeah?"

_"That_ is an understatement," Rex agreed, forcing the tension from his muscles. "What sort of training, for how long? I will not tolerate another of my Childer being chipped."

That caused Spike to look at him curiously. "Another? How many you 'ave now, anyway? Thought you'd lost 'em all save one t' those bloody bastards, down in St. Louis."

"All but Corey, yes," Rex growled in agreement, his eyes flashing hot gold. He visibly calmed himself as Taylor leaned harder against his legs. "But I have two currently in service with the Nightstalkers, turned since we last spoke, and one more, turned just last month. All are former military, and all turnings were sanctioned by the government, if you can believe that." He snickered now at that thought, and at the bleached-blond's shocked look.

_"How_ did you manage _that?"_ Spike asked, momentarily losing his Cockney accent.

"It is a long story. If you are staying in the area, I will tell it to you later. Have you arranged lodgings? I can put you up easily at my lair if you have not." Rex was all genial host now, not laughing at Spike's scowl.

"Wanker's di'n't tell me that…" he grumbled, trailing off with a sigh. "They're tryin' t' get trained 'splosive sniffers in all th' big cities, yeah? N'York, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, LA. They figure on trainin' one, an' 'e'll train others in 'is Master's Court. 'M bringing a Childe down from Seattle—m' local City Master's youngest. LA's a mess, since Peaches insists on stakin' any an' all vamps he runs inta, stupid twat. Still, I managed t' find one willin' there. I'll just have t' figure out 'ow t' put m' Sire on a leash later."

"Don Marco may not be eager to let the military get its hands on another of his Childer; he ended up nearly staking his youngest himself, after I had stolen him away from the Hunter Group when I took my own Childe back," Rex cautioned, but Spike smiled.

"Already talked to 'im. 'E's sendin' th' Childe o' one of 'is under-Masters—one who needs t' be provin' 'is loyalty. He figures, this goes bad, it's no big loss."

"I see—not a bad idea," Rex agreed with a laugh. "That sounds like the Don. No loss for him, but a gain for the Court if it is legitimate. He has always been, as you might say, 'bloody-minded.'"

"Yeah. But I think that N'York an' Miami're waitin' t' see what _you_ do." Spike still sat back, relaxed to all appearances, but his ice-blue eyes studied his host intently.

"I see." Rex sat back in thought, carefully considering both the request and his Childer. Finally he looked back over at the Aurelian Master. "When is this, for how long, and where is the training to be held?" he asked, not agreeing to anything yet.

"Said they want 'em there by next week; should only last two, three weeks, an' it'll be at that Nightstalkers place. 'S what I was told, anyway. They're sendin' a bloody jet t' pick 'em all up, too."

"That is convenient—I have my two older fledges visiting now, and they must return to the Nightstalkers soon. Perhaps they can catch a hop with this group? They have their Pets with them… _They_ are chipped; I will not agree to Steve's being chipped also. He is young, and I have not taken him hunting yet; he has not killed, and knows not to bite any humans without permission. Can you guarantee that, if I send him?"

"Might could," Spike cautiously answered, not wanting to promise something he might not be able to deliver.

Rex looked at him, then pulled out a cell phone. The bleached blonde watched in surprise as Rex casually replaced the battery, then dialed. "This is Master Rex; I want to talk to Ripper…"

~o~

He still had some reservations, but three nights later, he saw Craig and Rebecca off at the airport, accompanied by their Pets and Steve. He felt some regret that he hadn't taken them hunting in the five weeks they'd been there, but he hadn't wanted to show up Steve's inexperience, and the other two deserved _some_ sort of punishment for lying to their superiors. He would take Steve out and teach him to hunt once he returned—and only God would help them if Steve _wasn't_ returned to him, undead, unchipped, and healthy.

He watched as the plane's tail lights vanished into the night sky, then turned away to return to the lair and prepare for his exams the following night.

~oOo~

The place looked like any one of the ubiquitous storefronts that dotted this area, all glass and steel, but only two stories tall. Rex was glad it was winter, for seven in the evening could have been a chancy time in the summer. It was dark early still, providing him with the safety of night. _A pity,_ he thought, _that I do not feel the confidence that I _should_ have here at night._ Hoping that his nervousness did not show, he parked the black SUV and entered the building.

Many humans of various ages and both sexes wandered aimlessly in the lobby, looking as lost as Rex felt. He checked his computer printout once more, then found the building's directory. He snorted—the blind leading the blind, for most of the humans followed him like sheep, assuming from his confident-seeming demeanor that he knew where he was going.

It turned out that he couldn't have gotten lost unless he had put a great deal of effort into it. At the end of the corridor that led off the lobby, two doors stood open, clearly labeled "101" and "102." He entered 102, as per his printed instructions, then was totally stumped. There were rows of small desks with attached chairs inside, all facing a large desk at the front of the room. It looked nothing at all like the university lecture halls he had known in life, and his earlier schooling had taken place at home with private tutors, making a public schoolroom something beyond his experience.

A large clock hung on the wall behind the desk in front; he couldn't imagine why it should be there, since the teacher would have to turn around to look at it. But he entered and sat at one of the small desks as the humans around him were doing. He was glad now that he had come early, for those desks were filling up fast.

At ten minutes before the assigned hour for testing, a harried-looking man scurried into the room, loaded down with numerous large manila envelopes. These he dumped down on his desk, along with a large box of pencils. Rex felt completely lost, for the humans around him all watched this man expectantly as he moved up and down the aisles between the desks, giving each person there one of the pencils, each recipient acting as if they were something special.

He looked at his. It was yellow-coated and had been sharpened by one of those mechanical sharpeners. A large number "2" was marked on it, just below the eraser. But the man—clearly the proctor—was back at the front of the room. He looked bored, Rex thought.

"All right, people," he called out, getting everyone's attention. "When I call your name, come up and get your test packets, and fill out the top of your answer sheets with your names, student ID numbers, and the coding number of the test you're taking tonight. Do _not_ open the sealed test envelopes inside until I tell you to. Your test code can be found on the outside of the test envelope. _Print_ your names clearly, and remember to make no extra marks on your answer sheets. Remember to mark only one answer for each question, unless otherwise instructed by your test. No talking will be permitted once the test packets are opened. You'll have ninety minutes to complete your tests once I tell you to open your packets and begin; place your tests back in their envelopes and reseal them when you've completed them, or I call 'time's up.'"

Rex was confused now; what was this? No marks on the answer sheet? How was he supposed to write his answers down?

"First time taking one of these?" the man sitting next to him asked, his voice sounding sympathetic, not derisive.

"It has been a long time since I had my schooling," Rex answered carefully as he watched the proctor shuffle through the test packets. "Things have changed greatly, I fear."

"Oh, yeah; yea, computers," his neighbor replied, then fell silent as the proctor started calling names. Rex's was the second one called; he went and retrieved his envelope, wondering how he could answer very many questions in that short a time frame. He opened the outer packet as he watched the humans around him doing, and pulled out a large sealed envelope and a sheet of paper that had him totally puzzled.

There at the top were rows of boxes labeled "name," "student ID," and "test number;" below each of the latter two was a row of small circles next to the numbers "0" through "9." Below that were columns of circles next to numbers "1" through "50."

He stared at the thing; his neighbor looked at him in puzzlement at first, then realized. "You've never taken a computerized test before?" he asked quietly.

Rex looked at him. "All I have had prior to this is short answers and essays," he admitted, then forced himself to ask, "What is this?"

"Multiple-choice—you read the question and the choices it gives you, and pick the one you consider the correct answer, or the best answer for that question," the man explained. "The choices will be labeled A, B, C, D, and possibly E. Then you look for the number of that question on the answer sheet and carefully fill in the circle corresponding to the answer you've chosen. When they take these things up, they run 'em through a computer, which scans the marks on the paper to find the correct answers. That's why you don't want to make any extra marks on the paper. _And_ why, if you don't know an answer, it's best to pick what you think might be right, or at least take a stab in the dark—you could get it right, and it's better to do that, than to leave it blank."

"This is not multiple choice; it's multiple _guess!"_ Rex was appalled at the notion.

"It's been called that by many," the man chuckled softly. "Oh, yeah; be careful not to skip numbers by accident, or they'll all be wrong after that."

"I…can see that possibility," Rex agreed, then started filling in his name as the man—WEAVER, DANIEL G.—beside him did. The student ID number was on his printout; he wrote that in the little boxes, then filled in the corresponding circles below. As promised, the test's code number was on the sealed envelope. He filled that in, then sat back to wait.

"Okay?" Daniel asked, a small smile on his lips. "I hope my future students can follow directions as well as you, but I doubt it. What's your test anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"

"American history—the Civil War," Rex answered with an easy smile of his own, calmer now that he had something else to concentrate on. "The next one will be on Reconstruction, up to and including the Western Expansion. And you?"

"History major, huh? I'm going to be teaching math—I hope," Daniel responded. "This is my last final; then I just need to find a job."

"You will be certified?" Rex started to ask, but the proctor called a warning. "I will speak to you after this, yes?"

"Sure thing. Good luck," Daniel said, then the testing began.

He found it disgustingly easy. Out of each four choices, two were usually so ridiculous as to be laughable. Several times, he caught himself about to make errors through overconfidence and misreading the questions; checking the time and how far he'd gotten, he slowed down. He would have plenty of time to finish this _and_ go over it a second time to check himself. He was grateful for his vampiric memory, for the little details were as clear in his mind as if it had all happened just the week before, instead of a hundred and fifty years earlier.

Finally, he could stand to go over it no more. As instructed, he placed the answer sheet into the envelope and sealed it closed as he saw others doing. He took it up and laid it on the proctor's desk, then headed out into the hall to wait for Weaver to come out also. He didn't have long to wait.

"How'd you do?" Daniel asked as he joined Rex. Together they headed out to the lobby.

"I found it remarkably easy," the vampire confessed, then sighed. "If they are all like that, I should have no trouble getting them waived."

"You're CLEP'ing your subjects?" Daniel took a second to grasp that.

"Yes. I already have one graduate degree, but I need a teacher's certificate—or I need to hire one." Rex watched his companion as he spoke.

"One graduate… What were your majors?" Now Daniel looked stunned.

"My undergraduate schooling was in the liberal arts; then I read law."

"Oh, geez—you don't look old enough to have done that, and NOT know about computerized tests."

Rex just shrugged. "Appearances can be deceiving. Take yourself: you are just finishing your coursework, but you look like you've been working for a while already."

"That's 'cause I _have."_ Weaver sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Had to do whatever I could, and took classes at night and online. Only way I could make ends meet, ya know?"

Rex nodded. "It can be a struggle at times. I know several people who had a hard time after they got out of the service. One was living on the streets, as he had no family to go to and could not find work."

"I'm glad I wasn't quite _that_ hard up. Job-hunting is gonna be tricky, though." He paused and looked at Rex. "If you've got a law degree, how come you need a teacher's certificate?"

Rex found that he was liking this human more and more—he asked very astute questions, showing a sharp intellect and a good memory—but it wouldn't pay to get careless. "Yes, I have a law degree, but I did not wish to practice criminal law, and I found that civil law bores me. So I now operate a private runaway shelter. We home-school the children there, but the state Board of Education says that I must have a certified teacher on-site, or hire one of their people. I thought that, rather than put up with someone of _their_ choosing, I would just take what classes I needed to meet the requirements. I have already studied history, but as more of a hobby, you understand."

"You wouldn't want to hire a math teacher, would you?" Daniel half-joked.

"Give me your contact information; send me an e-mail when you have all your test results back, along with a résumé," Rex answered, leaving Weaver open-mouthed in shock. "If you are as good with children as you were with me, I very well might hire you. Do you have a family? I would be providing room and board on the premises. Here is my e-mail address; contact me if you are still interested. But you must excuse me now; I have another test to take tonight." He turned to go, then stopped and turned back. "Mr. Weaver? Thank you for your assistance. It was very much appreciated." Then Rex was gone, heading back down the hallway to do battle with the computer answer sheets once more.

~o~

He had four nights of testing as he tried to get all of his history courses waived. He already had his required English and psychology courses; he had even taken the subjects, although that had been so long ago that the psych was sadly out of date. Still, he had the grades on paper, which was what counted. He didn't even mind paying the school for the hopefully-waived subjects, if it shortened his required class list.

At last he was done with the tests; now he just had to wait for the results. And the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like hiring Daniel Weaver might be a good idea. Unable to resist any longer, he gave in and called Williamson, setting the JAG to doing a background check on Daniel G. Weaver.

He grinned when that came back, although Daniel himself might have considered it to contain nothing but bad news. He was an only child, and his parents, both only children also, had been killed in a car wreck when he'd been nineteen. In his first year of college, he'd had to drop out and take a series of menial jobs just to survive, for his father's company had gone to his dad's partner _in toto._ The two had started it together before either had married, naming each other as the beneficiary, and the senior Mr. Weaver had forgotten to change the documentation to leave his half to his family. As a result, Daniel had been left with nothing but a mountain of hospital bills and an old house he'd been forced to sell, for his mother had not been killed immediately in the wreck, but had lingered in ICU for nearly three weeks before succumbing to her injuries and a stroke from a blood clot that had traveled from her crushed legs.

The man was twenty-eight now; a childhood injury had kept him from joining the military, if he had ever even considered that option. There were no other close relatives living, and there did not appear to be any girl- or boyfriend currently. Daniel Weaver was as perfect a candidate for employment as Rex could ask for.

He heard this with a smile. Now he just needed to wait and see if the man would actually contact him.

~oOo~

Rex still had not heard back from either Daniel or his own school with rest results at the end of three weeks, when Steve was due to come home. Sighing, he packed his bags and had Collins gas up the black Expedition. He would take Taylor with him and pick up Steve, Don Marco's candidate, and the Childer that Spike had brought from LA and Seattle. The others, from New York, Miami, and Dallas, he would drive to the airport at Raleigh-Durham, where they could catch flights back to their home Courts.

It had been quite some time since he'd been on the West Coast, and Rex found himself looking forward to the trip out to Seattle; the LA vamp would get himself home from there—or Spike would get him home. It didn't matter to Rex; the trip was just something to take his mind off the wait. Hopefully he'd have his results in by the time he got back. And then he only had to wait until the next session of classes started in the summer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

They got to the gate of Fort Bragg just after dark. Rex stopped the car back a way, leaving it in the closest thing to shadow that he could find, but still see the gate. This wasn't the same as going back into Hunter Base to bring out Taylor and look for Corey. He'd known—and hated—that place, but it had been familiar. _This_ was a strange base, much, much larger, and most of it was aboveground. Plus, he was bringing his precious Pet in with him.

His thoughts arrested as he sensed something; his body froze, as motionless as a statue in the chilly night air. Taylor, well used to his Master's reaction to perceived danger by now, kept silent as the vampire let his senses range the night around them. He waited until Rex began to turn his head, searching the darkness, before asking any questions. "What is it?" he hissed, the barest of sounds. He, too, looked out the car windows, trying to find what had disturbed the vampire.

"There are others here," Rex answered in a normal speaking tone. "I do not yet know who; I was not expecting anyone else. Wait here, my Pet, while I go see who it is." He suited action to words, climbing out of the SUV and fading away into the darkness.

The minutes passed, and Taylor continued to search the night from his seat. He still jumped when a man appeared at his window.

"You are obedient, _chico._ Most do not care to stay when told."

"And good evening to you, too, whoever you are," Taylor answered, fingering the stake that he held just below window level. "I learned to obey orders in the military—sometimes it even saves your life. Hope you realize he's right behind you."

The man spun around to look behind himself, finding Rex standing there. _"Hola, señor,"_ he said, quickly regaining his composure. "I was just speaking to your Pet… surely there is no harm in that."

Two other vampires moved into place, flanking Rex—a man and a woman. Rex ignored the third stranger to look at Taylor. "Are you all right, my Pet?" he asked, his voice deceptively casual.

"Yes, Master Rex," Taylor answered formally. "We actually were just talking…he never even flashed gold at me. Told me I was obedient; I think he meant it as a compliment." Taylor grinned as he said that, drawing an answering grin from Rex. The vampire knew just how far such obedience stretched—which wasn't very far at all, where _he_ was concerned.

Rex looked back at the other vampire in front of him. "And you are?" he inquired, his tone a good bit more polite now.

"I am Don Luís Enrique Jimenez de San Miguel, Master of Miami. I am to assume that you are Master Rex of the Twin Cities, _sí?"_ He flashed a white-toothed smile at Rex, but his muscles betrayed his tension.

"You are correct," Rex acknowledged. "I had intended to see your Childe onto a plane headed back to Miami for you, _señor,_ much as for these others. Are you coming in with me, or are you planning to wait here, outside the gates, with the Masters from Dallas and New York?"

Luís exchanged quick glances with the other two Masters there before shrugging. "I wish my Childe back, but I am not about to stick my head into the lion's mouth without cause. Are you certain that _you_ will come out again? I have heard some stories…"

"But you still sent a Childe in there?" Rex was puzzled by this attitude.

"Aurelius had vouched for her safety," Don Luís replied with a shrug. "If it had been Angelus, I would not have believed him, but _el Señor _Spike usually tells something approaching the truth. That does not mean that I trust them completely."

"Probably wise of you," Rex agreed then. "I do not know how long we will be in there; do you have shelter from the sun, if it should become necessary?" He looked around, including the other two Masters in his question.

"I have a car with NecroGlass windows; we can shelter there if needed," the Dallas Master said with a shrug. She glanced at the Miami vamp and gave a strained-looking smile. "Mistress Ella Mae Carson, from Dallas," she introduced herself.

_"Where_ do you get that stuff?" the New York Master asked in complaint. "I've been trying to find a source; I'd half-decided that it was just a myth. Oh, I'm Master Grey—Philip Grey of MacGregor, New York's Master."

"You can ask her once I have gone in," Rex growled. "Gather your people and pull back from the gates. They do not know what you are, but they know that _something_ is out here, and the guards are getting nervous. I will bring your Childer out, then you can take them home with you." He turned his back on them and walked around the Expedition to the driver's side. Pausing there, he watched over the roof as the three Master Vampires melted away back into the night, then got back into the SUV and restarted the engine.

~o~

The gate guards were edgy; they'd seen the conference by the black SUV, although they hadn't been able to make out any details. But they still managed to be polite as they asked for IDs. Rex offered his driver's license, which drew frowns and confusion in the gatehouse.

Suddenly Taylor understood. "Corporal?" he called to get one man's attention. "Check your list for Rex, and possibly also Taylor. We should be there; we're expected," he told the man who came over in response.

A few moments later, the guards relaxed, and one could be seen picking up a phone. Words were exchanged, then another MP came out. "Someone will be here in a few moments to take you to your destination, sirs. Sorry about the confusion; they didn't give us your full name."

"That is quite all right," Rex graciously answered the man. "We will pull over there and wait, yes?"

"That's right, sir. Thanks, and have a good night." He stepped back from the vampire's window, but Rex saw that he watched carefully until he had parked and cut the engine off again.

Ten minutes later, a black-uniformed man ran up to the gatehouse to speak to the guards. Two other cars waited with them at the side of the road now, having come in after Rex's; after a brief conversation, the black-clad soldier came over to Rex's car. That was when Taylor noticed that the man's breath didn't plume out in the now-cold air. A vampire, then, he realized, and found himself relaxing as Rex rolled his window down.

"'Evening, Master Rex," the vampire greeted them with a grin. "Got room for me? I'm Master Kelly, here to give you directions to our area of the base."

"Certainly; climb in," Rex said as he released the lock on the rear door. "I am looking forward to seeing your Master Ripper once more."

The vamp smiled as he shut the door behind himself and settled back for the ride home.

~o~

Rex looked askance at the entrance to the old ammo-bunker complex. This reminded him far too much of Hunter Base, but Master Kelly was relaxed as he led the way inside.

"Welcome to the Nightstalkers, Master Rex," the human major waiting inside said as they entered. "I'm Major Fielding; we met down in St. Louis, and at Fort Leavenworth."

"I remember you; good to see you again, Major," Rex said with a smile and a nod of his head. "I trust that my Childe performed well for you."

"They all did very well," Fielding confirmed. "Would you care for a tour of the facility? It may look like what you knew on the outside, but I believe you'll find that the quarters for our personnel are very different."

"I think I would like that very much…but I cannot stay here too long," Rex cautioned. "There are three Masters waiting for their Childer just off base; I do not wish them to become worried.

The major shook his head. "I won't keep you long, then. They could have come in also; the MPs at the gate could have called us for permission."

"We have all heard stories of what the military has done with demons, Major," Rex said quietly. "They do not trust you; _I_ do not blame them. It should be enough for you that I brought Taylor in with me."

Now, Fielding knew, he could acknowledge Rex's human companion. "It is, and I do understand. Good to see you also, Taylor. Glad you could come."

"Wouldn't have missed it, Major," Taylor replied, then sighed. "I've wanted to see how the government thinks this _should_ be done."

"I don't doubt that in the least. Come on, then; darkness is slipping away. Master Ripper is waiting for you in his office; he'll give you the reports on how all the Childer did, then show you around."

Rex gave a regal nod of his head, then set out after the human, deeper into what he could clearly smell was vamp territory. Master Kelly followed in their wake.

He almost balked at the heavy gate to the vampire quarters, even though it stood open, with no guards nearby. He refused to show his uneasiness, though, and strode through it with confidence that he did not feel. The hallway was lined on one side with thick glass fronts, backed by heavy drapes; most of these barriers stood open, revealing the quarters within. He caught the eyes of an occasional vampire looking out at them curiously as they walked past. None of the human companions were to be seen, though. On the walls between each pair of 'rooms' were posted two nameplates: one a vampire's given name, status, and clan; beneath that, a human's name and military rank.

Already he could see the differences. _These _vampires were obviously free to come and go as they pleased, and felt no resentment or fear towards their human counterparts. It was clear that they were held in high regard. It made Rex feel better about giving Craig and Rebecca over to this group.

Rex could sense it as they drew closer to Master Ripper's office; a Nest Master always gave off a strong sense of presence in his own territory. He had to force himself not to grab onto Taylor protectively.

Ripper met them at the office entrance. "Master Rex, welcome to the Nightstalkers, and my Court," he greeted the visiting Master. "C'mon in; grab a seat," he offered, clearing the area of his doorway to allow entry.

"Master Ripper; good of you to invite us," Rex replied, his voice neutral. It made Ripper chuckle.

"Relax; no one's gonna lay a hand on you here. Care for some blood? Can I offer Taylor something to eat or drink?"

"Not hungry, but a cuppa coffee'd be great," Taylor said for himself, dropping down onto a floor cushion beside a comfortable-looking chair. "Rex oughtta eat something; he didn't seem to want much on the drive down here."

Taylor just grinned up at the scowl that statement earned him, totally unrepentant. At last his vampire sighed and settled down into the chair that the human had selected for him. "Thank you, Ripper; some blood would be very welcome indeed, as my Pet has made so bold as to say. I will admit to having a certain degree of… uncertainty over what I would find here," Rex carefully stated.

"That's understandable. Cream and sugar, Taylor?" Ripper dropped the uncomfortable subject of Rex's nervousness, turning to his duties as host instead.

"No cream, one sugar, please, Master," Taylor replied with carefully lowered eyes.

"Okay, forget _that_ shit, Taylor. You and I both know that you're _not_ the perfect vampire Pet," Ripper laughed, drawing a chuckle out of Rex also.

"It would seem that you know the type," the Twin Cities vampire remarked.

"Got a whole bunch o' them stationed right here," Ripper agreed. "So. Here are the files for each of our civilian trainees, and ID cards for them to carry. That way, if they find something, Homeland Security won't start demanding to know just _why_ they're so sure they 'scented" explosives or unauthorized weapons. The military's prepared to issue up to five of these for each major city; these Childer will train others, then _those_ will go to a designated base for 'testing.' This first group of Childer have contact numbers to call, to arrange for this testing; we'll send someone out from here to do it.

"I understand you already have people working with Homeland—how many cards do you need?"

Rex pursed his lips in thought. "Besides Steve? I believe that Master Henrí has two—his oldest Childe Luc, and a minion called René. And Master Tonya's middle Childe Trey has also been successful," he finally answered.

"Okay, so you need three more. They'll be ready by the time you're ready to go. Want that tour now?"

"I believe that I saw all that I needed on the way here," Rex answered, smiling to soften his refusal.

"Okay. One minute; then we can talk about your Childer." Ripper keyed an intercom to order blood for two, and a coffee, then turned his attention back to the visitors. "Let me say, first, that you can be extremely proud of your youngest," he began. "He's got a very keen sense of smell, even if not the sharpest in the group. He really applied himself; he can easily identify nearly twice the number of compounds and explosives as any of the others. He's friendly and willing, and doesn't hesitate to do whatever is asked of him, whether it makes sense to him or not. He's remembered a lot of his hand-to-hand training from his human life, adapting well to the vampiric state even considering his youth, and is a remarkably fine shot with a rifle."

"I sense a 'but' in there somewhere," Rex said cautiously as Ripper fell silent.

"Yeah. _But._ He gets along great with all the others. He never snarled or hissed, or even lifted a lip at any of the humans here. He even gets along great with your Childe Craig. But we've had to break up four fights with Rebecca so far. Don't know what caused the bad blood, but early last week something happened to set them off, and we've had to watch them closely ever since. We're not even sure who starts the fights; both of them seem equally to blame. Truth to tell, I'm glad you're taking Steve outta here; someone's gonna get hurt otherwise." Ripper let his disgust be clearly heard as he told Rex of his Childer's clashes.

"Where _are_ Craig and Rebecca?"

"They both got extra duty once they got back," Ripper said plainly, "for lying to Captain Samuels before they left here. _She_ is now confined to her quarters when not actively training; it's not helping the situation any, either. Craig's last day for his punishment detail is tonight; sorry."

Rex nodded. "I will not ask to see either of them, then. A pity; I would have liked to."

"Oh, I don't think it'll hurt discipline any for you to see Craig. Not Rebecca, though," Ripper decided.

"If you think it is all right, naturally I will be pleased to see him," Rex said, relaxing, for he knew that nothing was being hidden from him then. "Hopefully she will not decide to hold this against Craig."

"She'll get over it—or she'll be confined again. Come on; Steve can meet you in the game room. That's where the civvie-Childer are waiting for us."

"'Civvie-Childer'?" Rex asked with a laugh.

"Yeah; Tony called 'em that. They're not military; Steve's the only one with any military experience at all, although we've got one former cop in the group," Ripper explained, trying to keep a straight face as he recalled the appalled look on Steve's face when he first heard that appellation—it had matched Rex's expression perfectly.

"Yes, let us go," Rex agreed, accepting the mug of blood that arrived just then and rising from his seat. "I can drink as we walk; Taylor and I, at least, have a long drive ahead of us, and the night is not getting any younger."

~o~

They went to visit Craig first. Rex found him sitting on a high stool in a storeroom, sorting packets of something from one box into three others. He had been at it for quite some time already, and had more to do still, if the piles of cartons around him were any indication.

Ripper caught sight of the confusion on Rex's face and grinned. "Punishment around here doesn't have to mean pain. We've got a lotta tedious chores that need doing from time to time, things that a vampire's speed and stamina don't help with. Sorting supplies by expiration dates is a prime example. It's gotta be done occasionally, an' everyone hates doing it. So it gets assigned as punishment details and extra duty, among other things."

"And it does not damage the one being punished, as a whipping would," Rex agreed with the concept.

"The humans get upset when we beat or whip someone," Ripper snorted in disgust. "There are still some things about us that they have a hard time accepting."

"Oh, trust me, Sire, this is _much_ worse than a beating; that's done and over quick. _This_ is pure torture!"

Rex looked over to see laughter in his Childe's blue eyes and smiled. "I will have to remember this tactic, then. I am sure that Collins has some such similar tasks that may be assigned to errant Stable Kids. How are you otherwise, my Childe?" He walked forward and drew Craig into a hug that pulled him off the stool, which was returned after a moment's surprised hesitation.

"I'm good, Sire. Missed you, though. How long can you stay?" Craig asked, his voice showing a suspicious catch.

"What is wrong, Craig?" Rex asked in concern, pulling back to look at the younger vampire.

"Nothing, really; it's just good to see family that's not pissed at each other. Becka's bein' a bitch, Sire; I don't know what started it, but she's been picking fights with Steve for the last two weeks. She's makin' life miserable for all of us, and I don't know what to do about it. Her companion is unhappy too; I don't know how long he'll be willing to stay with her."

"So _she_ is at fault for the fighting?" Rex wanted to be clear on this point.

"Now, yeah. Don't know who started the… feud, I guess… originally," Craig confirmed unhappily.

"Steve is leaving with me in just a little while. You may tell Rebecca that I did not come and see her because she is being punished for fighting. Unfortunately, my Childe, I cannot stay long; other Sires are waiting outside the gates for their Childer to be brought out to them.

"But enough unpleasantness. _Your_ companion is well?" Rex asked, choosing to use the term that Craig had used for Rebecca's human.

"Bobby's fine. He seems happy with me now—I'm really careful with him. I never realized just how fragile a human is; I almost broke his arm by accident once. I think he may choose to stay as my Pet; I hope so, anyway." Craig looked almost shy when he admitted that last bit, causing Rex to smile again and look fondly at Taylor.

"That would be a good thing," Rex agreed, then paused before carefully adding, "You have a chance to forge a more equal relationship with him than I could do with Taylor. Rob means much more to me than I can afford to show; I am lucky, because I believe that he understands this."

"I do, O vamp o' mine. Trust me, I do." Taylor came up closer to lean lightly against Rex's back, wrapping his arms around the vampire's waist. "You can't afford to show weakness if you hope to hold your territory. Dobbs understands that about Corey, too, seein's he's your heir apparent."

"Makes me even gladder that I'm here with the Nightstalkers," Craig said, sitting back on his stool and stretching out his back with a loud "pop." "I'll be _sooo_ glad when this is over."

Ripper had studied the piles of cartons around the redheaded vampire. "Looks like you're almost done. You finish those up, and I'll call it all square."

"Thanks, Master Ripper," Craig said in relief. "I'd like to have time to run the obstacle course a couple times every night again—I miss that the most, I think," he admitted with a rueful grin.

"So don't lie to the humans again, and I won't have to assign you stuff like this," Ripper returned with a chuckle.

"I've learned that, Master; don't worry," Craig quickly assured his vampiric CO.

"Yes, I believe that you have," Rex agreed. "And perhaps _next_ time you come to see me, I will be able to take you out and show you my territory, instead of effectively restricting you to the lair."

"We kinda figured that was why you didn't take us out to hunt with you like you said you wanted to. I _am_ sorry to have messed up things for Steve. At least we've patched things up between us. He's a good friend, and a bad enemy. I'm glad he's my brother."

"And _I_ am glad to hear that. But I must go now, Craig; take care of yourself, and obey Master Ripper. I will see you again." Rex gave his Childe one more hug, taking comfort in that physical contact himself, before turning away. Taylor offered a hand, which Craig accepted and shook after a very brief pause, making the human smile.

"You've made him proud of you," Taylor said softly. "Keep up the good work, hear?" Then Taylor, too, was gone, following his Master, leaving a contented young vampire behind to complete his punishment.

~o~

Steve was waiting in the game room, his bag at his feet, along with six other young vampires. He smiled as Rex and Taylor walked in, his grin widening at the sight of the human. Sire had risked much, bringing Taylor; he hoped that someday _he_ would earn the right to a pet also, and would be as lucky as Rex had been with his. He walked into the arms that the older vamp held open for him in invitation, and held back a sob. He hadn't realized how much the squabbling with Becka had hurt him, until he was back with their Sire. So many of the things she'd said had cut so badly… But here Sire was, for _him,_ and he could smell not a trace of _her_ on him, although he could sense Craig's scent on both Rex and Taylor.

Without another word, Steve followed Rex out, once his Sire had released him and stepped back. Even Taylor smiled at him, and he knew that all was right with his world again, despite Becka's still being in it.

~o~

Steve and three other Childer climbed into the two rear seats of the Expedition, leaving the front passenger seat for Taylor. A military van driven by one of the Nightstalker vamps took the other three Childer as far as the gate, letting them out to walk into the shadows beyond the gate-lights to reunite with their own Sires.

Rex watched them go, then headed back out towards the Interstate to the east, and the long drive ahead of them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Rex strode into the Court as if it were his own, heeled by Taylor and followed by the Childer from Seattle and LA. Aside from that, he was alone. They had dropped Don Marco's candidate off in Chicago with no mishaps, spending the night there in guest quarters. The _Capo di Tutti Capi_ had been a bit chilly to him at first, but his demeanor had warmed as he'd heard the favorable report on the Childe he'd sent. She might not have been of _his_ Siring, but she had represented his Court admirably. Seeing that she hadn't come back with a Pet in tow had helped his mood also. Rex was just glad that they'd parted on good terms, for it was never very much fun to be at odds with one's Master.

He had decided, almost at the last minute, to drop Steve off at the Lair. Even five adults left the Expedition feeling crowded, and they still had over half the distance to cover to Seattle. With four, they could lay the seatbacks down and let Taylor sleep at night while Rex drove, for both the rear seats had backs that were split so that one half could lower and the other remain upright. They would arrive sooner if the human drove for at least part of the day…

Steve had taken his exclusion well, just as eager to spend time home with Corey as with his Sire.

Now, at last, Rex had arrived in Seattle, ready and more than willing to deliver the two West Coast Childer to their Sires. He hoped to see Spike while they were there, for he knew that the senior Aurelian Master maintained his primary lair there, despite the presence of a large Slayer school. He still wanted to try to arrange for the bleached-blond's input on European history during the twentieth century.

Several of the lower minions started toward Taylor, but the human didn't even look in their direction as other, smarter vampires pulled them back into the sidelines. Kevin, the Childe from Seattle, glared at the miscreants, who slunk away in disgrace.

At the front of the hall, Lance, Master of Seattle, looked upon his Childe with a smile, and gave a polite nod to Rex once he had reached the foot of his dais. "Welcome to my Court," he said as he rose in greeting, one equal to another. "I'd like to thank you for personally seeing my Childe safely back to me; that was quite a trip."

"It was my pleasure," Rex answered just as politely. "I have not been out this way in too long, and Kevin was a good traveling companion. You can be proud of your Childe, Master Lance; he did very well for you, or so I have been told by the Nightstalkers' Nest Master."

"That's what he told me; he called three nights ago, to let me know you were on the way. You're here sooner than we thought; you must have driven night and day. Have a seat, please; you've gotta be tired after that trip."

"We did, and I am," Rex chuckled back as he settled into a chair that was vacated and brought forward for him. "That's the benefit of having a reliable Pet, though; _we_ could sleep, while he drove. This is my Pet Taylor, Master Lance…"

"Please, just Lance, okay?" Seattle's Master requested, then watched as the human calmly settled down onto the bare floor despite Rex's unhappy look. A quick word to someone had a cushion brought for the Pet; Lance was glad he'd given that word when he saw Rex's frown clear away; this was definitely a treasured human.

"In that case, if you would, I am Rex." He looked around the Court, noting the temporary nature of the setting. "You have to move often?" he asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Yeah, but it's not as bad as it was," Lance said with a shrug and a grin. "These last few months we've started taking a page from your book, Rex—hunting just the criminal element. The Slayers aren't trying to hunt us down as persistently now; their Watcher is setting them after other, more dangerous demons—Fyarls and the like. He's friends with Master Spike, y' see."

Rex nodded in understanding. "They stay out of my territory; I have an agreement with them over hunting in Detroit also. Many of the Slayers are not very happy about it, but there is little that they can do about the situation."

"You go to Detroit to hunt?" one of the other nearby vampires asked in confusion.

Rex chuckled. "Oh, we hunt in the Twin Cities also, but only criminals—rapists, drug dealers, terrorists, and their like. That and dangerous predatory demons. We have made my territory _too_ safe and calm; we go to Detroit for excitement. My people call the Slayers there to notify them where we will be hunting, and _they_ patrol elsewhere that night. It works for us." Rex shrugged off-handedly, not even trying to defend his reasoning any further. Most of the West Coast vamps in earshot were nodding in agreement; the ones that didn't approve were no concern of his.

"Things are somewhat hairier here," Lance laughed back. "If you want to take on a Slayer, go for it; we get out-of-towners through here all the time, so all's fair, y'know?"

"Thank you. I have already taken my Slayer out, quite a few years back. Although I find them exhilarating to play with, I believe that I will leave these for those of your people who still need to make a name for themselves," Rex replied, knowing this to be an acceptable, honorable excuse. He saw no need to piss Taylor off by killing a Slayer unnecessarily.

"Good enough. Offer's still open if you change your mind, though," Lance said with a shrug, and eased back in his chair. Their discussion turned to the course of study his Childe had just completed, and how his performance had compared to that of the other Childer. Rex had just begun boasting about what Steve had done when there was loud shouting outside the doors, which were soon kicked open.

Two groups of vampires entered in ragged clumps, their leaders vociferously arguing over something. Another, lone vampire came in dragging a tied-up human who had been severely roughed up already. From several of the comments he heard, Rex realized that possession of this human was being contested, and they had come before their Master to have the disagreement adjudicated. He sat back, prepared to watch it all and enjoy the show. Taylor stayed particularly still beside him.

There was still a lot of shouting, the human being pulled and pushed between the two groups despite the lone vampire, who was trying to keep him away from both parties. Eventually Rex understood that this man had been found lurking around the bus station—always good hunting ground, whatever city you were in. Seattle's vamps had been watching for predators and pimps there and taking them out whenever they found one, as he and his own court did, the privilege being rotated between the various groups of the Seattle region. Unfortunately, the group that had caught this man tonight was _not_ the one that had hunting rights in that area this month, and, instead of killing him and leaving the body to be found as was the established practice, the group's leader had taken him for a toy. The other group was demanding that he be turned over them, since it was _their_ month to hunt that area, and they would see the human killed properly.

So the argument raged until Lance finally yelled for silence. The human looked to be in shock by this time… and he didn't smell right to Rex. There were no lingering traces of anticipatory lust clinging to his clothing; what he could smell seemed out of place for the type of criminal he appeared to be.

Apparently Kevin caught that also. "Sire, I smell cordite and gun oil on that human," he started to say, and Rex could see fear cross the man's face for the first time.

"I do not think that this is a criminal," Rex said, his voice clearly heard in the sudden stillness of the large audience hall as he stated his conclusion. "Going by your new standards, that would mean that he is not legitimate prey. Were his eyes covered when he was brought here, or was he allowed to see the lair's location?"

The silence held, now accompanied by guilty looks.

Lance got an unhappy frown on his face at what this implied. "We can't afford to let him go, if he's seen where we are. It's bad enough when the Slayers bother to track us down; _he_ could bring the authorities, although they might not believe him."

"Has he been checked for identification?" Rex asked next, sneering at the contending vampires in disgust when they finally shook their heads "no." He glanced at Lance for permission, since this was his Court; at the Seattle Master's nod, he turned to Taylor and lifted one eyebrow.

Taylor nodded and rose from his cushion, going to the captive. He checked the man's pockets, finding nothing. "What were you doing at the bus station?" he asked, sighing at the indecision he saw in the captive's eyes. "Look, I _really_ recommend that you 'fess up. No matter what you think you're giving away, it'll be a lot better for everyone if you talk. And don't lie; they'll know if you do, and that'll be worse than saying nothing at all."

"Who're you?" the man found his voice to ask, finally.

"That's not important; just tell us why you were hanging around the bus station."

He looked around at the gathered crowd. It reminded him a lot of the Renaissance Faires he liked to go to, especially when they "held court"—except that there were a _lot_ of really warped faces here, as if most of the people were wearing monster masks for some reason. At least that's what he thought, until he saw the blond man who'd sent this one over to question him, _change,_ his face turning from human into… something else.

He swallowed hard. "My name's Deke Robertson—I'm an undercover cop," he finally admitted. "I was trying to find out who was killing all those men—mostly sex offenders, as it happens—near the bus station."

Lance looked at Rex in concern. "Now we _really_ have a problem," he said with a growl.

"It could have been much worse," Rex told him. "If he _had_ been killed, the police would have torn the city apart looking for his killer. He is still alive, so the situation can be salvaged. I have two police detectives at home that carry my claim-mark, and I have given one of my under-Masters permission to claim a third. They provide me with lists and locations of acceptable prey, and other information of interest to me and my Court. If this one will swear to you willingly, it should be safe enough to turn him loose, on the condition that he not reveal your location."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Robertson objected, not really thinking clearly yet. "If these… people are responsible for all those deaths, I _have_ to do something about it!"

"Fool. You will be able to do nothing if you are dead," Rex snarled at him, shocking him into silence again.

"I don't think we can trust him loose," Lance finally decided after watching him once more. The first claimant started to swagger, assuming that he would be allowed to keep his toy now, but Lance scowled at him. "Rocky, you've poached on others' hunting rights before this; no way are you keeping that human."

Rocky vamped out in rage at being taken to task so publicly and started to lunge at his Court-Master, but only got one step towards the dais before he exploded into a cloud of dust; the stake that Rex had thrown had been dead-center to his heart. The bound human's eyes grew big as saucers at the sight.

Lance looked at his visitor. "Thanks, Master Rex; that saved me a lotta time and trouble. He's gone, and his buddies can't blame me. So… I know you'd rather I let the cop live, for whatever reason, but I can't have him here. If you'll take him back with you and keep him there, I won't have to kill him. Whatta ya say? He's yours if you want him."

Rex looked at the white-faced detective. "Normally I take only those willing to come with me; tonight, I fear that I must make an exception. Taylor, instruct him to submit to me."

Rob had ducked somewhat aside when the vampire—Rocky—had made his reckless lunge. Now he went back over to the restrained prisoner. "Okay. He don't really care that you're a cop, and he's not gonna give you another chance after this, so if you wanna live, this is what you've gotta do. You walk over to him—his name is Master Rex, by the way. You get down onto both knees in front of him and tilt your head to one side. Then you stay like that while he decides to keep you or not. You look only at the floor; _don't_ try to look any of them in the eyes—it's rude. Oh, and they can run 'way faster than you can, so don't bother trying it. Understand?"

Robertson looked at Taylor, hoping that he was kidding. He saw sympathy in those brown eyes, though, and realized that his very life depended on his swallowing his pride and doing this. He took a deep breath, grabbing onto his courage. He could only hope he didn't regret this…

He did as instructed, awkwardly dropping to his knees before the man he'd been told was Master Rex and tipping his head. There was no waiting for a decision, though; Rex placed his hands carefully on the human's head to steady it since his hair was too short to grasp securely, then leaned in and quickly bit. Robertson tried to jerk, giving a shout of surprise and pain, but Rex held him still, swallowing enough blood before licking the wound closed to weaken the human and make him compliant. The man wavered on his knees, then, not sure just what had happened, or what it meant for him.

He began to suspect, though, when he heard Rex asked if anyone happened to have a collar and leash handy…

Taylor just looked at him in sympathy as he resumed his place at Rex's side. Further explanations would come later; now, they just had to get through the rest of Court. He watched as Rex pushed his new Pet over until he sat on the bare floor at the vampire's feet. There he stayed until they were finally ready to leave.

~oOo~

Like most well-run major Courts, this one kept a few guest rooms for visiting Masters and their closest companions. Rex left it up to Taylor to get the new human there when Court finally let out. The guest suites were in a separate building, affording them some privacy, which Rex suspected they'd need. His new human was still somewhat in shock, but he would regain his wits—and voice—soon, if Rex knew anything of the species.

Taylor got him into the suite and into the bathroom. Rex followed as far as the door. "Cut his clothes off and get him washed up—a full shower if he does not fight you. You can go out tomorrow and purchase new clothing for him. When you are done, bring him in to me; I will be in the bedroom."

"Yes, Master," Taylor said, intending to set a good example for Robertson. He waited until Rex had closed the door, then looked at his latest charge. "Okay, you heard the boss. Me, _I'd_ go for the full shower; you'll feel better for it, and think a lot clearer. Hold still; he doesn't want you cut loose yet—that's for him to do, anyway, not me."

"You… what are you? What's _he?"_ Robertson held still as scissors were applied to the remaining rags that still clung to his frame.

"I'm Taylor. I'm human, like you. I'm what they call a Pet, a favored human. It means that I have status in one of their Courts." He paused to make sure that Robertson was following this. The last of the man's clothes dropped onto the floor, so Taylor turned and started the water running for a shower. Satisfied with the temperature, he stripped down to his shorts and helped the cop—_former_ cop, now—into the tub and under the water spray. He waited until he'd gotten his hair washed and rinsed and had done his back before continuing. "As to what _he_ is—he's a vampire. A real, undead, blood-sucking, night-walking vampire. Unlike many of his kind, this one holds to the old traditions of service and responsibility. You do right by him, and he'll look out for you. I've known him for three years now—tell you that tale some other time."

Taylor finished washing him down as he spoke, as impersonally as he had Rex, back in the beginning. He checked his neck and nodded. "You've got a good, clear mark; he did a nice job on you. Mine was a bit rushed, see?" He tilted his head to one side, letting his own mark show more clearly. He watched as the man looked, then swallowed heavily and looked away, for Taylor carried more than just the claiming scar on his neck and shoulder these days, although the others weren't as prominent or deep.

Rob just snagged a clean towel and dried himself off first, then Robertson. Helping him out of the tub, he steered him towards the door and the waiting vampire.

"Wait!" the new guy called, nearly in a panic. "What's he gonna do?"

Taylor sighed. "First he's probably gonna ask you what your name is again. Remember the not-lying part, okay? He heard everything you told me, anyway. And watch your mouth. He won't hurt you—probably—if you don't force him to."

"Right… okay," Robertson said, allowing Taylor to get him moving again simply because he had no other choice. Then he was in the bedroom and facing the…vampire…who held his life in his hands.

Rex watched his new pet come into the room. He hadn't really wanted another, but the way he'd been gifted with him, his only choices were to drain him on the spot—which Taylor would never have forgiven—or to claim him as a Pet. Why, he fumed, had Lance had to gift him so, in front of the whole Court like that? He could have just taken him for his Stable if he had been gifted in private—but dwelling on that was just blood wasted. Now he would see what he had to deal with; then he could set Williamson to fixing the situation for him.

The vampire motioned towards a cushion that had been set on the floor before him. Taylor moved away from the man, sitting on another cushion beside his Master. "Sit. You will not have to kneel in private," Rex instructed, then waited until he'd been obeyed before continuing. "You said that you were an undercover policeman; what is your name?"

"I'm Detective Deke Robertson," he repeated, remembering to keep his eyes down. He thought about protesting being kept a prisoner, but decided that this…_being_…probably didn't care what he thought about all this. He waited silently for the next question.

"When are you due to report in next…Deke?" Rex asked, considering which name to call this man. He decided he preferred the shorter "Deke," feeling that it suited the man better somehow.

"In the morning… He says your name's Master Rex; what am I supposed to call you—how do I address you, I mean?" Robertson asked, nearly raising his eyes, but catching himself just in time.

"You may look up at me," Rex allowed, with a slight smile as Deke's eyes traveled up to his face. "As for your question, you have heard Taylor. After you have been with me a while, I will perhaps allow you the use of just my name when formality is not needed; until then, I am either Master Rex, or Master, to you."

A slight shiver could be seen running down Robertson's back at that. Rex looked at Taylor quickly, but his Pet―his _senior_ Pet―didn't look chilled. Just nerves, then, he decided, as he continued the questioning. "What family do you have?"

Now Deke hesitated a long moment before answering. "Mom and Dad are divorced; both remarried. I don't see much of Mom; her new husband is stationed overseas—Diplomatic Corps. Dad is in a nursing home, due to a car accident; his wife died in the crash. My older brother is in the Marines, also overseas; my younger sister is still in college, in LA." Slowly he added, "I have a fiancée."

Now Rex looked unhappy. "When were you due to marry—had you set a date? And what does she do for a living? Did she mean to continue after you wed? Would she object to relocating? What family does _she_ have?"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Deke protested, alarmed now. "Why all the questions?"

"A female, especially if she thinks herself spurned, can cause more problems than a whole police force combined; I know this from first-hand experience," Rex explained, a sour look on his face, then laughed. "My oldest brother was put through _hell_ for his second thoughts on matrimony before he was killed in the war—the Civil War, that was.

"If your fiancée is willing and does not have too many attachments, I might consider moving her to be with you. Would that please you, Deke?"

He glanced at Taylor, stunned when the other human just nodded back. "He'll do it if he says he will… or at least he'll try. Old values and traditions, remember?" Taylor said in confirmation.

Deke looked back at the vampire. "You gonna bite her, too?"

"Yes—but not the same as you. _You_ are a Pet, like Taylor, due to the way you were given to me. _She_ will be in my Stable—Taylor will explain the difference later. Tell me about her, Deke."

He was reluctant and still felt somewhat light-headed, but so far he hadn't even been threatened. He took a chance, deciding to tell at least part of it. "She teaches art at a private school. I think she meant to continue, at least until we had kids. No date set yet. Umm… I don't know about relocating—possibly, if she can get a job… If _I_ can get a job, even. How th' hell can I get married if I can't support her?!" he finished, suddenly growing agitated.

"Gently, Deke; gently. You will not need a job, although work will be found for you at my lair. _She_ can continue to teach in the Stable, both mine and those of my under-Masters. I do not have an art teacher available yet, and my young females will benefit from having an older woman among them. What of her family?" Rex pressed, needing this information even more now.

Deke was still more hesitant now, but he had little choice, he realized. "Her dad's dead; he was lots older than her mom when they married. She doesn't talk to her mom at all anymore; things got really bad between them after her dad died. I'm not sure why, though."

"You will give Taylor her name and contact information; I will have to arrange to meet with her. I do not wish to bring her if she is not willing to come with you or accept my authority. As I said, _you_ were an exception; they would have killed you, had I not agreed to take you. And Taylor would have been very irked with me, more than he is now."

"My captain's still gonna move heaven and earth to find me," Deke warned his… owner? Captor? Didn't matter, he decided; he'd just have to get away somehow.

"I fear that they will be no problem, shortly." Rex grinned as he pulled out a cell phone. He paused, looked at the time, and sighed. "Williamson will be wroth with me, I fear, for I am about to wake him up," he said, glancing regretfully at Taylor, who laughed.

"'S what you pay him the big bucks for, ain't it?"

"I do fear so, yes," Rex chuckled in response, then dialed the number he'd long since memorized.

~oOo~

Williamson wasn't asleep, as it happened. With his new position, he'd gotten wiser, going to work later in the day and staying up later into the night, since that was when the vampires usually called. Not being the lead in regular cases made life much easier, although he already missed it. Most nights he was asleep by four in the morning, but tonight he just couldn't get to sleep. He looked at the clock when his phone rang, even before checking the caller ID, and grinned. It had been a few weeks since he'd heard from Rex; no doubt this call was overdue. He keyed his phone to accept the call. "'Evening, Master Rex; what's up?" he cheerfully answered.

That took the vampire aback momentarily, but he chuckled and shook his head. "And a good morning to _you,_ my Jag. Need I tell you that I have a problem for you to see to?"

"Natch. Whatcha got for me today?" Williamson nearly laughed at the caution he heard in the Master's voice. "Or should I ask what you did this time, that needs fixing?"

"It is not what _I_ have done, exactly—well, perhaps it is, a bit." Rex was actually somewhat hesitant this time, not sure what he wanted to ask the lawyer to do.

Taylor laughed and plucked the phone out of the vampire's grip. "Hey, Eric, it's Rob," he said, snickering at the affronted look on Rex's face at that liberty. "The Fanged One has a situation—he needs you to arrange somethin' like Witness Protection for someone."

_"What?!"_ _That_ wasn't something he'd expected to hear; the vampire had never gotten into that much trouble before…

Taylor switched the phone to speaker. "'S not what you think… We're in Seattle, first of all. The Court here's been goin' after criminals lately, but some blood-sucking morons took down an undercover cop, then dragged him to their Master's lair. Master Rex talked them outta killin' 'im, but they'd let him see where they brought 'im, so _their_ Master gave him to Rex. He's gotta keep 'im, or they'll kill 'im."

Deke stared at them. Who was this Eric person, that they would speak so openly about this situation? From the phone he heard, "So…you want me to…what? Square his going missing with his captain?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you straight—he's not happy about this," Taylor warned. "They won't be, either. But he was in the wrong place at the wrong time—undercover, lurking near the bus station…"

"Damn! He's lucky they didn't kill him!" the lawyer exclaimed, suddenly understanding.

"Yeah. We don't know what happens to the juvies out here; Rex didn't get around to asking that."

"Got it. Is he around somewhere? I may need to speak to him also," Williamson cautiously said.

"He's sittin' right here, gapin' like a fish—we're on speaker," Taylor admitted, causing the vampire to grin at him.

"Who are you talking to?" Deke finally gathered himself to ask.

"Master's lawyer. He's a JAG—military lawyer," Taylor explained. "That's part of the long story I have to tell you eventually.

"See, Eric? He's right here. Can you fix it?"

"Believe it or not, this sounds like one of your simpler problems," the JAG admitted. "Master's gonna keep him, you say?"

"Yes, my Jag," Rex answered for himself. "I have to; he was gifted to me as a Pet. I must keep him, or kill him. Anything else would give offense, and that could lead to more human deaths. They already deal with Slayers here; they do not need to cope with the police also. I know that Master Spike would not appreciate the complications _that _would cause."

"Have you seen him yet?"

"He was not at court; I hope to meet with him tonight. I will tell him then." Rex snorted derisively. "And to think that I considered this to be a pleasure trip. I should have known better."

"Yeah, you should have. Okay—What's your guy's name, so I can get on this…"

"Deke Robertson…"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Robertson suddenly spoke up. "You can't just make me vanish!"

"I'm afraid that I have to say that he _can_ do it," the lawyer said regretfully. "Due to a number of circumstances that I am not willing to go into right now, your new Master has legal immunity. I won't bother to quote the Patriot Act and the Official Secrets Act to you; just know that he's covered by them, and _you're_ just shit-outta-luck.

"Master Rex, I'll get back to you. Leave your cell _on,_ please?"

"For you, my Jag, I will do that. Thank you once again," the vampire said, pleased by the lack of argument from his human this time. He ended the call and looked over at the shell-shocked cop. "Do you still think that I cannot do this?"

"No, I guess not." He sat still as the vampire gently untied his bonds, then numbly watched as the end of his leash was secured with a small padlock to a discreet ring set into the wall beside the bed. A pillow and several blankets were given to him; then Taylor climbed into the bed, and the lights were shut off. He heard the bedsprings creak as the vampire slipped under the covers also, and then silence. After a long moment, Deke finally wrapped up in his own blankets to try to find sleep himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Williamson flew out to Seattle on one of Homeland Security's private Gulfstreams, arriving shortly before noon. Deke's captain was starting to worry about his man, but the JAG lawyer flashed his brand-new Homeland Security credentials at him, and told him that his detective had gotten into something he shouldn't have and was now in a Witness Protection program. His apartment was being emptied as they spoke, his possessions to be shipped to an undisclosed location.

The whole department was stunned when they were later told to leave the Bus Station Pervert Murders alone, but they had no choice but to obey the orders, due to their source. They were all dedicated men, but they weren't stupid; some things you just couldn't fight. Robertson's personnel records were taken, along with his medical records. By that evening, as far as Seattle was concerned, Deke Robertson, Detective, no longer existed.

~oOo~

She sat at a small table near the back of the trendy café that she had suggested, nervously looking over everyone who came in through the door. The merry jingle of the bell on that door seemed to do nothing to cheer her up. She had arrived early for the meeting, no doubt hoping to see whoever it was that she was supposed to meet up with as he or she came through that door. How she would identify them, she wasn't really sure though...

Rex sat at the table behind her, ostensibly perusing the evening's paper while he studied her covertly. She was fairly short, and, while nature had blessed her with curves, it had not been overly generous. If anything, Tracie Hughes was on the plump side. The vampire had noted hazel eyes in a plain face when she'd turned to scan the area around herself briefly; her blue suit jacket was a good complement to her dark red, shoulder-length hair. She wore sensible shoes, and black wire-rimmed glasses, a style popular a few years earlier. This was clearly a woman more concerned with practicality than keeping up with current fashion trends. Every time the door opened for another customer, Rex could catch a hint of lavender from her; the scent suited her well, he decided. She was no great beauty, but her face had a pleasant cast that was attractive in its own way.

Right on the stroke of eight, he rose from his seat and approached her table. "Miss Hughes? I believe that you are waiting to see me. May I join you?"

She nodded her permission nervously, so he pulled out the chair opposite hers and sat, placing his half-empty cup of coffee in front of him. He noted her look of startlement when she realized he had been there the whole time. The waitress swung by and topped up his cup; he smiled up at the girl in thanks, then looked back at the one he'd come to see. Tracie waved the waitress away without a refill, too distracted and concerned to want to eat or drink much of anything.

"Miss Hughes, we have a mutual friend," Rex began, speaking softly. "I have recently come to know your fiancé, Detective Robertson. Are you aware of the subject of his latest assignment?"

"We don't talk about the details of his job," she quickly denied, wondering what this was and beginning to worry now. It had been three days since he'd called her last…

"The night before last, he got himself into a situation that is forcing him to relocate permanently. He is fine—do not concern yourself over that—but he will be required to break all ties with everyone he leaves behind here. He does not, however, wish to lose _you,_ my dear. Would you be willing to relocate and go into seclusion with him? You need not leave here immediately; it might even be better if you did not, but came to him in the beginning of summer, perhaps."

She stared at him in shock, taken aback by this totally unexpected news. She knew that Deke's job was dangerous, that he could get killed in the line of duty, but Witness Protection? She hadn't considered that. And move to _where?_ Her friends were all here—but they wouldn't really miss her all that much, would they? And the spoiled little brats at the school _weren't_ what she'd envisioned when she'd decided to teach art at a private school, although she wouldn't admit _that_ even to Deke. "We were going to be married…" she protested weakly.

It made Rex give a gentle smile. "I see no reason why you couldn't, still. Mr. Robertson will be in my employ, in my household, for the foreseeable future. I would be honored to arrange the nuptials for the two of you. I will tell you now, though, that there will be conditions to this, rules that will have to be obeyed concerning the living arrangements. You will be provided your own apartment and have young people around you that you may still teach if you so desire, but Robertson will not be allowed to leave once he is settled in his new home. You will not, either, if you go with him."

She watched him as he took a sip from his coffee, trying to think this over. She was having a hard time understanding just what he was saying; it made no sense to her. It sounded almost as if Deke was a prisoner of some sort… "Is he in trouble?"

That question made Rex stop and think. "Not… _exactly._ Not anymore," he finally admitted. "He nearly got himself killed the other night, though, for he was found in the wrong place at the wrong time, and by people who mistook him for something he was not. That is why he must go; if he stays here, he will die. There is much to this situation that I cannot tell you yet; still, you should know what, exactly, you would be agreeing to.

"Tell me, what do you know about vampire legends?" He watched her closely as he asked that question. Rex knew that he wasn't as pale as he could get; he had gone by the local blood distribution center and purchased supplies for himself, nodding a polite greeting to the Slayer who'd been lurking in the shadows across the parking lot there—after taking her stake away from her when she'd come at him. He hadn't hurt anything but her pride, though, when he'd told her she was a fool for trying to stake vamps who were trying _not_ to kill humans, but were buying their blood from legitimate sources.

Still, he knew that the lights in this café showed up his pallor more than he liked. Tracie looked at him oddly when he asked the question, then more closely as she actually noted his skin tone. Her breath caught a moment, her heart beating faster as her suspicions grew.

Rex smiled kindly at her. "Be easy, Miss Hughes; I give you my word that you are safe. This is a parley, in a very public venue. I will not hurt you tonight—or ever, should you agree to come with Mr. Robertson. I do note, however, that you are not protesting the impossibility of my existence."

"I've… done a lot of reading on the myths and legends surrounding supernatural creatures," she slowly began. "Werewolves, vampires and the like; it's a hobby of mine. There are too many similarities among the folk tales, from too many diverse cultures, for there not to be some basis in fact."

"Good. This conversation will go much easier, then," Rex told her, his smile reaching his green eyes. "Your Mr. Robertson is now _my_ Mr. Robertson. As I said earlier, he was mistaken for someone else the other night; we were fortunate in that I was able to prevent his death. Unfortunately, I was… 'Forced' is not quite accurate, but it will suffice. I was forced to agree to bring him home with me when I leave here, several nights from now. He is not allowed to communicate with anyone here, but he fears that you would think that he deserted you. I offered to let you accompany him, for that will make what amounts to captivity easier for him to bear. The…others…who are with me stay willingly; _he_ is my only captive, and that because he is a gift that could not be refused."

She pondered this in silence, playing with her coffee cup as she thought. Rex waved the waitress away when she would have topped off his cup again, not wanting Tracie's thoughts interrupted. Finally, she looked at him. "How many of the old stories are true?' she asked, watching him closely.

Rex struggled not to speak too clearly as he tried to answer her question honestly. "The sunlight allergy, definitely," he replied at last. "The diet—also true, although not necessarily fatal, nor need it be addictive. The accuracy on the efficacy of religious icons varies, depending on the particular legend, and on the individual involved. Mirrors—true, unless they are…specially treated, let us say. I do not have any of those; they are a needless expense. We look at the world differently; our social rules are also widely variant from yours, due in part to our extended lives. Also, you must remember that we, too, are individuals, so what holds for one will not necessarily be true for another."

"Mebbe so, luv, but _this_ one tends t' speak true. Evenin', Rex."

"Spike." Rex watched as Tracie's eyes widened at the sight of the man who now joined them. He pulled another chair over to their table, straddling it backwards and grinning at the stunned human before turning his attention to the vampire he'd come looking for.

"'Eard wot 'appened. This 'is bird?"

"Yes. I had hoped to convince her to come to live with him. It was not his fault, really; I see no reason to make him sacrifice more than he already has. My Jag has already notified his captain, so he is officially mine." Rex leaned back in his chair, although he was not as relaxed as he appeared. He would discover what Miss Hughes was made of now, for he knew that Spike did _not_ do "subtle" very well.

"Right. Well, then, luv, th' choice is yours. Rex'll do ya right, you an' your mate." The bleached blond looked back at Rex to ask, "Stable?"

"For her; I had to take him as a Pet," the Twin Cities' Master confirmed.

Spike reared back in surprise. "Wot's Taylor think o' _that?"_

"He was with me at the time and knew I had little choice, if I wanted to see the man live. I am not sure _what_ I will do with him. I do not need a second Pet; perhaps I will set him to seeing to Steve. They can both learn how to coexist together; much safer than giving Steve his own Pet. He did very well in North Carolina last month and deserves some reward for his restrained behavior."

Spike nodded at that, his ice-blue eyes shrewdly watching the human woman who sat with them. She was quiet; not frozen, just silently studying them. He would give her more to think on, then. "'Eard you was lookin' for me, mate," he said to Rex. "Wot d' ya need?"

Now Rex smiled. "I was hoping you could give some insight into twentieth-century European history. You were there then… if you were not too busy leaving a wide swath of red ruin across the Continent in your wake."

"Peaches an' th' whore _did_ like t' travel in luxury; saw a lot o' th' bloody upper crust an' 'eard a lot o' gossip. Don't know as it's wot your Stable should be 'earin' about, though."

"You were not with the Scourge when you ran into the Nazis, or so I heard," Rex countered.

"No. Dru an' me, we was in Italy when _those_ wankers picked me up. Wasn't in their soddin' 'ands long, though." Spike nearly growled at the memory; his eyes _did_ flash yellow. The sharp intake of breath to his right reminded him of the human who sat with them; he turned his head to look at her and quickly apologized. "Sorry, luv. Those were bad times for all, yeah? Not good memories there."

"Just think about it, Spike, if you would. Some of what I have read in the modern history books is so warped, it is barely recognizable. I am trying to see my Stable taught the truth, not a bunch of lies that suit someone else's agenda," Rex pressed, taking the attention off Tracie Hughes so she could calm down again.

"Yeah, I'll think on it. 'Ow long y' stayin', Rex?" Spike got himself under control again also.

"I will be leaving in two nights; we would have been gone already, but I needed to make sure that my Jag has all he needs to cover Deke's tracks. That is my new Pet; you will meet him soon, I suspect. We are staying at the City Master's guest lodgings if you care to discuss this with me further."

"Might could do. Any other problems?" Spike was all Territorial Master, now.

"Yes; you may wish to keep your area's Slayers away from the blood bank. One tried to ambush me there tonight when I went to buy some blood. They are not encouraging your people not to hunt when they do that," Rex warned.

The Aurelian Master scowled. "'S 'appened before. I'll talk t' th' whelp again—don't know as their Watcher can really stop 'em, though. Law t' theirselves, Slayers think they are."

"I am just grateful that my local Slayers are more accommodating," Rex said with a satisfied smirk. He found himself adding, "Though they are no happier with the situation than yours are."

"Yeah, well, that's Slayers for ya. Look, mate, I'll talk t' ya soon, yeah? Have a good night, Rex, pet," Spike said as he rose from his chair and headed out.

Rex studied his companion as she watched the other vampire leave. Finally she turned her eyes back to him. His voice was gentle when he spoke once more. "I trust that answered some of your questions, at least? I will admit that I was not expecting _him_ here tonight, but perhaps it was just as well."

"I thought that was just a TV show," she slowly admitted, her voice thoughtful.

"It is not one-hundred-percent accurate, but some of it is correct," Rex agreed. "Still, those times are long gone. Now we must find ways either to hide from or coexist with humans. I tried avoidance; _that_ did not end well. Now I hide in plain sight and work with my local population of humans as their protector. My people take out the human criminals and predators that kill the weak and innocent. I keep humans who willingly provide me with blood. These are not killed. Your Deke is one such as this now, although he is not willing. You are invited to join him at my estate. I will feed from you, also, but never enough to harm you. Here is my Jag's card—my lawyer, that is. If you choose to come, call him, and he will notify me. We will see that all of your possessions are moved for you; you could, perhaps, tell your friends that you are considering taking a job elsewhere. Officially, I maintain a runaway shelter, where we provide homeschooling for the residents. That much is the truth, although my nature is hidden from the local authorities. My Jag can answer your other questions, should you decided to come." He passed her a business card, then rose from the table himself. "If you would allow me," he added at a stray thought, "I can provide you with some temporary protection from my kind, although it will seem odd, and may perhaps sting a bit. Your hand, please?"

She swallowed nervously, but held her hand out to him. Tracie watched, bemused, as he bent over her hand, as if to kiss it with old-world charm. Then she saw a brief flash of fangs as he carefully cut the meaty part of her hand, just below the thumb. She stifled her cry as he immediately licked at the cut, cleaning away her blood. She didn't see him nick his own tongue before he retracted his fangs, but his blood was soon mixed with hers.

The protection of his scent would hold for several months, he knew, long enough for her to decide whether to come out to be with Deke or not. If she did not come, she would no longer be his problem, and so it would not matter when his scent faded from her. Again Rex bade her a good night, then left the café.

Tracie sat staring at the door long after he'd gone, her own coffee long cold on the table before her. She never even realized that the wound had healed until she was getting ready for her classes the following morning. Only then did she accept that it hadn't all been a dream; the slight scar in her right hand was all the proof she needed.

~oOo~

Rex arranged to have the Expedition shipped back to Minneapolis and flew back on Homeland's jet with Taylor, Williamson, and Deke. That was just too long a drive and would have presented too many opportunities for the new Pet to try an escape. He was still not reconciled to the turn in his fortunes, and the vampire preferred not to have to punish the human when it was so easy to avoid that situation. Besides, Williamson had to fly back East anyway, and the Gulfstream was available….

Corey and Steve met them at the private arrivals gate, the old two-tone SUV beyond the safety line. Taylor grinned to see the old workhorse vehicle; it had served the vampire well over the years. Williamson went into the terminal with them while the jet was refueled and serviced; he would fly on, back to DC, once it was deemed ready.

Rex looked at his Jag as they gathered in a VIP lounge, waiting for their bags to be transferred to the car. He smiled broadly and held out his hand. "Again I must say thank you, my Jag; you have done your job with admirable efficiency."

"My pleasure, Master Rex," the lawyer said with a matching smile. He held his own hand out, allowing the vampire to clasp it lightly. "Just tell me this: What're you gonna do when I retire?"

"Ah, Williamson, you have _many_ years ahead of you, before you need worry about that," Rex assured his human. "You will not live as long as Taylor, perhaps, but you will far outlive many of your peers."

"What do you mean?" the Jag asked suspiciously, trying to guess whether the vampire was joking or not.

"Each time I mark you, you receive a few drops of my blood. It is enough to bolster your immune system, to keep your body's cells from dying for a few days and help you heal faster. You do not get my blood that often—not as Taylor does, every few days at the least. But it will slow your aging just a bit, and will help you to stay healthy. It is a benefit of being a Claimed one; my body and blood recognize you, due to the blood I take from you, and so it can keep you healthy for service longer. It is similar to what was done for Marc, although the same did not work for Steve; him I had to turn, for I could not cure him."

"Worked for me, too, when I took a bullet in Afghanistan," Taylor added, then gave a mock shudder. "I get a small dose of blood just about every day. 'M used to it now. Rex says I'll stay young an' pretty for a long time." He batted his eyelashes playfully, making everyone but Deke laugh at his antics.

"Yes, well, since you are here, I will refresh your mark," Rex announced. He had not released Williamson's hand; now he was pleased that the lawyer did not try to pull back away from him. He was even gentler than usual when he bit the human's wrist and swallowed, then licked the small wound closed.

Williamson watched carefully this time. "I always get some of your blood, huh?"

"Yes; that is what heals the bite so quickly, and puts my scent into you. All I do is nick my tongue; that is sufficient," the vampire confirmed. He sighed, then looked around at the rest of his entourage. "We had best be going, my children. The sun will be rising soon, and I wish my own bed again. Steve, this is my new Pet, Deke Robertson. He is mine, but you will be responsible for seeing to his needs. You may get Sammy Chen to assist you in his training. He is new to us and our customs, so be gentle with him."

"Yes, Sire; I'll take good care of him," Steve was proud to say. He might be too young for his own Pet, but this showed that Rex really did trust him. After all, _he_ wasn't chipped like his sibs Craig and Rebecca; that was the only reason they could be trusted with pet humans at their age. _He_ would earn his Pets the traditional way; it would mean more. He interrupted this line of thought to study his charge.

The human looked unhappy, but that was explainable. Carefully the young vampire smiled, not showing any teeth. "I'm Steve," he introduced himself, gently nudging the human towards the exit and the waiting SUV. "Pleased t' meetcha. We can wait out in the car; the rest'll be out shortly. So tell me, what did you use to do?"

Back in the lounge, Williamson looked at Rex with concern. "Is that wise?" he asked, careful to keep his voice down.

"He will be just fine; Steve did very well with the trainers of the Nightstalkers," Rex hastened to assure his lawyer. "He will not risk angering me; that is why I stressed that Deke is _my_ Pet, and did not just give him to my Childe. Perhaps in a few years; I will see how things go. _We_ must go now also, I fear. Have a good flight, my Jag; I will speak to you soon."

"Yeah; talk t' you later. Be careful, okay?" the lawyer couldn't resist adding.

"Always, my Jag," the vampire laughed as he herded Corey and Taylor out ahead of him, to the waiting car for the ride back home at last.

~oOo~

The Stable Kids waited until they reached the kitchen before swarming their Master with excited chatter, asking about the trip. A sudden silence fell as they noted the stranger in the midst of the group.

"Deke, these are most of my Stable; whoever is missing from this mob is no doubt studying," Rex announced with a chuckle. "And _this,_ my younglings, is my new Pet, Deke. He is from Seattle and was a policeman."

Slowly a little girl came up to him, studying the newcomer with solemn brown eyes. Suddenly she smiled. "I'm Sarah; I just turned ten. That's my sister Janet…"

And the ice was broken. Robertson was amazed that they had accepted him so readily, and on the word of a monster…

A chill breath puffed against his ear and the back of his neck as Corey came up behind him. "They know what we are, Pet; most saw their attackers killed by one of us when they were rescued. These are all too young to be bitten, except for one or two, but they look forward to the day their Master says they can feed us. All the Stables in Master Rex's territory are like this: places of laughter and contentment. He won't stand for anything else."

"They feel safe here, with you," Deke realized with no little awe.

"Compared to what they ran from, this is heaven," another man said, coming over. "I'm Collins, Stable chief. I _am_ fed from. You're a Pet?" He paused for confirmation, nodding. "I'll ask Rex where he wants you quartered, then. We'll help you fix it up however you like. Welcome home, by the way." His warm smile showed that he meant the greeting, as he moved away to consult with the lair's Master.

Deke just watched the activity around him and realized that this truly _was_ home to these kids. Something deep within him relaxed at this realization, letting him start to accept this odd turn his life had taken.

~oOo~

Finally Rex had the new human settled and began to go through the piled-up mail. He had been gone nearly two weeks this time, and he was amazed how many letters and e-mails needed his personal attention. Of greatest importance, he felt, was the fact that his grades were in. He had had all but one of his history classes waived; an apologetic note from the school stated that the professor whose course it was, had questioned his "interpretations of the key causes…" Rex sputtered, somewhere between amused and annoyed. Finally, he decided to contest the decision later, or just not bother with that particular course; he had more than enough credits in his major to do so.

Finally, towards the end of the list of e-mails, he found one from Daniel Weaver, with his transcripts and a résumé, as requested. The vampire smiled as he read it all over, then sent out a reply inviting the human in for an interview. All he truly needed was to see how the man interacted with the Stable Kids; if he passed muster there, he would willingly hire the human. _Then_ the school board wouldn't have a single thing to complain about. Things, he felt, were definitely looking up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Daniel Weaver had nearly given up. It had been almost two weeks since he'd sent his grades and résumé to that guy he'd talked to at the testing site, and he'd heard nothing back. He gave himself a mental slap for hoping, as he finished getting ready for work. School janitor was a sucky job, but it was legitimate work, so he shouldn't complain. Eight hours there as a Custodial Assistant, then home to scarf down a quick sandwich, and out the door for five hours of part-time fast-food grill work. At least it paid the rent; maybe he'd hear back from the teachers' union about a job opening somewhere for summer school, or as a substitute teacher. Hell, even as a teacher's assistant, although that didn't pay crap.

With a sigh, he checked his e-mail before heading out the door…and stared at the offer of an interview from Mr. Julius Alexander for a position as a mathematics instructor at the Waggoner Academy and Shelter for Runaways, at a time to be negotiated for both of their conveniences, if he was still interested, yadda yadda. Hell, _yeah,_ he was still interested! He shot off a confirmation and a request for two days later, then headed off to work, feeling as if he were floating in the clouds. Yeah, an interview wasn't a guaranteed job, but it was start…and a start was all he was really asking for, wasn't it?

~oOo~

Rex smiled when he got Weaver's second e-mail, agreeing to an interview. He was puzzled by the request for an evening appointment, until he remembered that the man worked several part-time jobs, then confirmed that and added an invitation for a light dinner—dress casual, please—since the school tended to eat later in the evening than one would normally expect. That way Daniel could meet his prospective pupils in a more informal setting.

It would also give Rex time to convince Deke to behave himself in front of a guest, although he didn't really foresee any problems there. He seemed resigned to his situation now, as long as he was kept busy.

And he was. Deke, Marc Santos, and Sammy Chen had been put to work on the renovation of one of the smaller dormitory/classroom buildings; Rex would see how this project went before dealing with the other two, for this was the smallest of the three buildings. He had plans for this one, seeing its potential as small apartments for paired Stable members or as quarters for hired teachers, such as he hoped Weaver would be. When the weather warmed up a bit more, he would have the roof replaced, since most of the buildings needed to have that done, and have NecroGlass put in when he had the windows replaced for better energy efficiency. Until then, Master Camilla had several minions who had worked construction before their turning; they would deal with moving interior walls, converting the tiny single rooms and larger open bays into suites and multi-bedroom apartments.

Rex's people would be assisting with that also, and hopefully learning how to do this themselves. Sammy had worked some construction over the summers both before and after his senior year of high school, so he knew which end of a hammer was used to hit a nail. Marc was generally handy—sheds and such frequently had needed fixing in his dad's landscaping business; he had learned a lot over his summer vacations and after school while he was growing up. It didn't take a lot of skill to gut an old building, especially when the interior paneling wasn't worth salvaging. Once the pipes and wiring could be gotten at, an electrician and a plumber would be brought in for _those_ tasks and new, higher rated insulation would be installed. After that, Master Camilla's minions would see to the interior finish work. But for now, Collins came out to oversee the work crews as he found time in his other duties, and some of the older boys came out also, for the experience, although they seemed to see it more as playtime than work.

Still, he watched Robertson intently when he came in for dinner, until the human squirmed under his scrutiny. "What'd I do?" he finally asked when he couldn't stand it anymore.

"You have not done anything untoward, Deke," the vampire said, his voice soft. "I merely wonder how you will comport yourself before outsiders. We will have company, tomorrow afternoon and evening…"

The Stable Kids grew excited at the thought of a guest, for they'd grown to enjoy the attention they got at those times. Guests were safe, they'd learned; Rex would not allow anyone to abuse them here.

Deke looked at the kids and swallowed. He realized that he couldn't say anything, couldn't appeal to the visitor for rescue, for that would just endanger them both—_if_ the stranger were even inclined to help him. He felt Rex's eyes on him again.

"If you need help in staying here, Pet, I can have you chipped with a GPS locator. It is what the military did to us," Rex added at the human's appalled look. "You will not be tempted to try to run, in that case, and I will not have to punish you for the attempt."

"No…" Robertson gasped, startled, then got himself back under control. There would be no escape for him… "I'll behave myself; you have my word."

There it was: no escape, no trouble. He was stuck here, and really, it wasn't so bad. Yeah, the vampires killed—he could do nothing to stop that—but now he'd met and talked with the would-be victims that these same killers had rescued. How many others would be victimized if the vampires were stopped? Sometimes, he'd come to realize, you could do more harm by interfering than by leaving an obviously bad situation alone. He felt a cold hand come down on his shoulder gently in reassurance and comfort. A glance to his left showed him the young vampire, Steve, beside him with a look of concern on his face. He tried to muster up a grin for the man who tried to comfort him.

"You've barely touched your dinner," Steve said. "Not hungry?"

"Not really," Deke admitted. More upset, really, but he wasn't going to say that.

"Come on, then; I'll see you settled for the night." Steve extended that invitation to Sammy also, for he could see the envy in the former Pet's eyes. The three men left the table in a quiet knot, Deke somewhat reluctantly.

Taylor looked at his Master. "You're gonna have t' do something about Sammy, Rex. He's not happy, an' he's jealous of Deke. That's a bad combination, O vampire mine."

"I know; I am just not sure what to do," Rex admitted, pushing away from the table himself. "Come walk with me; perhaps we can think of something."

"You're not used to coping with personnel problems like these; you can't just stake 'em like you would vamps," Taylor commented as he settled beside the vampire, back in Rex's sitting room. "Seems to me like Deke is the least of your worries. Chen's jealous and lonely; Rebecca's goin' off the rails for some unknown reason… At least Corey took care of that creep Ray last year. That'd be all we needed now." He gave a snort of disgust as he recalled that Childe.

"Rebecca is having problems with her Pe… her companion," Rex said absently, then looked more sharply at his Pet. "Do you know why?"

"Not really. I thought Craig might be the one t' have that kind of trouble; us military guys don't cope real good with the concept of guy-guy relationships, 'specially at first. Becka shouldn't have _that_ problem…unless her companion has a girlfriend? Some of us _try_ to be monogamous," he explained at the vampire's questioning look. "What happens if he _won't_ sleep with her willingly?"

"Normally that would not be an issue, for she is too young to have a Pet," Rex answered thoughtfully. "But all of the Nightstalkers have Pets—that was Joey's problem: he was too full of himself, getting a Master's privileges while he was still too young. If Rebecca's Pet is not willing, she _may_ force him, but I doubt she will, since everyone else she sees has willing Pets."

"So you're sayin' she's jealous too?"

"That is very possible," Rex conceded.

"I bet Sammy'd bed her," Taylor joked, then paused at his Master's look. "What?"

"I believe that you have hit upon the solution, Irreverent One. Chen was military; Master Ripper may find him acceptable still, if he is still having problems with Rebecca. I will call him later tonight and ask. Now though…"

Taylor grinned at his vampire. _Yeah. Now,_ he thought as he let himself be held closely, content with his life.

~oOo~

To say that Daniel felt nervous as he drove up to the gates of the Waggoner Academy was an understatement. He'd called in sick to his fast-food job so he could see the place while it was still somewhat light out, although that might send the wrong message about his reliability. He stopped his old wreck of a car in the driveway, looking in at the house and grounds.

Here and there a few patches of old snow tenaciously hid in protected shadows, refusing to be melted by the slowly warming weather. The windows of the building at the end of the drive reflected back the last of the orange glow of the setting sun. The building itself was a weathered stone, although he could catch glimpses of smaller (by comparison) brick buildings behind the main one. It was apparent that work was still being done on the property; some of the roofs still looked old, while others—the main building most notably—had clearly been replaced not that long ago.

Winter-dead gardens were evident around the house, along with bushes that had been trimmed into submission after many years of neglect. He could recognize the look; he'd done some restoration work among his many other jobs. But it boded well for the future, for it told Daniel that Mr. Alexander was serious about making a go of this place, of providing a good shelter for his runaways. It said that he had money to spare for the little things in life.

Gathering up his courage, he put the car in gear and drove up to the main building and the small parking area just in front of the door. He didn't pause now, cutting off the engine and going to knock. The door opened almost immediately, reminding Daniel of old movies, where butlers seemed to be waiting for someone to come all the time. But this man was in casual clothes, not formal wear like a movie butler.

"Can I help you?" the man asked with a neutral expression on his face.

"I'm Daniel Weaver; I have an appointment to see Mr. Alexander." Daniel watched as the man's face lit in welcome.

"Come on in—I'm Dobbs, by the way," he said as he swung the door wider. "I've been overseeing the kids' studies. It'll be nice t' have a real teacher here for 'em, although I don't mean to quit what I've been doin'." He waited while Daniel removed his heavy coat and gloves, then took them and set them aside in a small cloakroom just to the side of the entryway, hiding his grin as he watched this newcomer look around the main lobby in wonder. "If you'd come this way, please, Ma—Mr. Alexander is in his office."

Daniel followed his guide, his attention skipping over that slight correction in Dobbs' speech. He could hear children's voices somewhere out of sight—they sounded older, like teenagers, mostly, although he couldn't be certain. But they'd gone through towards the back of the building, and Dobbs was knocking on a closed, heavy wooden door.

"Yes?" a familiar voice asked as Dobbs opened said door slightly to stick his head inside.

"Mr. Weaver is here, sir," he announced, then Dobbs opened the door wider and stood back with a grin.

Daniel took one more deep breath—so much was riding on this interview—and walked in.

He found, not a bare office, but a room that was comfortable, a small fire merrily burning in the fireplace off to one side. An old, well-restored desk sat to one side of curtain-draped windows, wooden file cabinets against the wall. Oriental rugs provided islands of color on the polished wood floor; antique (or good reproduction) hunting prints hung on the walls, which were also panelled in wood, but a lighter-toned variety. It looked more like a smoking room in an old mansion than a cold headmaster's office. The comfortable-looking, leather-upholstered chairs grouped around the fireplace only added to that impression. Only the very modern-looking computer that sat on the desk told him that he'd not stepped back in time.

The headmaster, Mr. Alexander, waited for him in a high-backed chair behind that desk, a second man in a chair set off to one side. A last chair sat in front of the desk, probably for him, Daniel thought as he came to a stop beside it.

"Welcome, Mr. Weaver," Rex said with a smile as he rose to greet his visitor. "I am glad that you could make it."

"Thanks for asking me," Daniel said, casting a slightly concerned look at the third man in the room. Was this another interviewee?_ Competition for the position? _he worried, trying to hide his nervousness.

Rex could smell it on him, the need to make a good impression, to _get_ this job. It would not do to let on that he knew this, though. "Please, be seated; we have plenty of time to talk before dinner is ready, enough to throw in a tour of some of our facilities. This is Rob Taylor, Mr. Weaver; he is my personal assistant," he said as he indicated the other man.

Daniel relaxed at that even as Taylor offered his hand in greeting. He had noticed that Alexander did not offer to shake; he mentally shrugged that off—some people just didn't like to touch casually. "Pleased to meet you," he said as he released Taylor's hand.

The three men sat then, but to Daniel's surprise, he was not grilled about his qualifications or education. Instead, the conversation seemed to flow along casual channels, shifting from topic to topic until they finally reached legends and horror movies. For some reason, Mr. Alexander seemed very interested in his speculations on supernatural creatures. Several times Daniel caught Rob Taylor hiding a slight grin for some reason.

But at last, the man behind the desk rose once more. "Would you care for a brief tour, and to meet some of my residents?" Rex asked, keeping a carefully neutral tone.

"I'd love it," Daniel answered, also rising. He followed after his host, accompanied by Taylor. Daniel noted that Taylor seemed to be carefully watching him, almost like a bodyguard.

He lost that line of thought as soon as they entered what was clearly a classroom. Every desk there had a laptop on it, though most were shut down for the night. A few still had students working on them, and Daniel was amazed to realize that they didn't seem to resent the extra time being spent there.

Rex looked at who was still at work and cringed—there would soon be more of that "fan fiction" featuring the…_athletic…_activities of himself and Taylor, if he were not mistaken. "These are some of our budding authors—although you do _not_ want to read their work if you have delicate sensibilities or stringent morality," Rex warned with a smile. The young people there grinned at him, the gleam in their eyes confirming his suspicions. His smile grew wider. "This is Mr. Weaver; he may be joining us, to teach mathematics. Do any of you have any writing fit to show an outsider? I do not wish him shocked or frightened away…"

"I do, Ma…uh, Sir," one girl said, her correction more evident to be heard. She tapped a few keys, then pushed back from her laptop. "This is a…fantasy work, an essay on the social structure of vampire society," she carefully explained. "It's gen, sir," she quickly added for Rex's benefit, causing his concerned look to fade.

"I've got a historical piece set in Victorian England, sir," one of the other girls offered, then blushed. "It's a bit of a Mary Sue, though. I haven't gotten to the juicy parts yet, so it's still safe."

Daniel stood there, stunned that these teenagers would admit to writing such things to their headmaster.

Rex just smiled gently at him. "Go ahead, read if you wish. Carol, there, won recognition in the Governor's Essay competition last year. She is quite good, as are the others; they were just too shy to try entering anything appropriate. As to being appalled by their choices of topics…these young people know too much of the world; I would be a hypocrite if I said otherwise. They are _all_ runaways; some were rescued off the very street. I am not about to force them to pretend to ignorance and an innocence that they no longer have. We all have our dark secrets, after all, and this writing seems to help them heal."

Slowly Daniel nodded, then stepped forward and began to read. He found himself captivated; this was nothing like he'd expected. He tore himself away from the first piece to see what this "Mary Sue" thing was—he'd never heard the term before.

He looked at Rex finally. "This is incredible. The detail paints such a picture…" he said, deeply impressed.

"We encourage them to research their interests, to lend verisimilitude to their writing," Rex admitted with pride. "But shall we go on?" He indicated the door, pausing just long enough to thank the two girls who had shared their work with this stranger.

Eventually they ended up back in Rex's office. Daniel was thoughtful as he sat once more. "You know, I'm surprised that none of them were uneasy around me, considering their backgrounds."

"They have no reason to be worried here," Rex answered nonchalantly. "They know that I would shred anyone who offered them harm."

Daniel started to grin at that, then froze as he realized that he'd heard an actual threat there. He tried to make a joke of it. "You'd still have to hide the bodies," he said, forcing a smile.

"Around here it would be easy," Taylor suddenly said. He'd been fairly quiet during the tour, leaving the conversation up to his Master. "We wouldn't have to _hide_ anything; the evidence would just turn to dust and blow away."

Again Daniel froze, but Rex smiled. "It is not so dire as that. But tell me, do you think you might like to live and teach here? We are renovating one of the smaller dormitory buildings into apartments; would you care to see those?"

"You mean…?" Daniel was half afraid to voice the question.

"The position is yours, if you still want it once we've eaten," Rex replied, watching the human carefully now. "The whole household will be there, including all of the young people. Any questions you might have after that, I will gladly answer. But we should go now, before it gets cold; I can smell that it is nearly ready. I hope that you like Italian; Collins does a very good _lasagne," _he gave it the Italian pronunciation, "both with meat or just vegetables, although we do not have many vegetarians here."

He ushered Daniel out the door, Taylor briefly leaning into his Master's side. "I like him; hope he stays," the human murmured just for his vampire's ears. Rex smiled in agreement, then moved to lead the way.

There was a rowdy group of teenagers in the dining hall when they reached it, although they quickly settled down as they noticed their headmaster enter with his guest. Happy laughter and conversation still flowed among the teens, thirty or forty in number, Daniel estimated, although there was room for many more. These all took places at long tables, set much like the Great Hall scene from those Harry Potter movies. The adults here had their own large table, although they sat on both sides of it, leaving some backs towards the "residents," as the headmaster referred to them.

The adults… Daniel looked at them thoughtfully. All men—young men at that—none older than their thirties. Dobbs was the only black adult in the room besides himself, and they were both very light-skinned. The kids, though, were a very representative mix of races and skin tones, so he couldn't even try to find prejudice here. Everyone looked contented and happy—except for one of the dark-haired adults. But Daniel could feel eyes on him, a hot gaze burning through his skin. He tore his eyes away from the kids, turning his attention back to the headmaster.

"Do we measure up to your standards?" Rex asked, his voice laced with amusement. "Come, join us at table. I do not know your religious preferences, but we usually offer thanks before the evening meal—I hope this will not offend you, but it is a practice that I insist on."

"I don't have a problem with that," Daniel said as he moved to the empty seat that was clearly meant for him. "My mama used to do that, too; I've kinda missed it." He watched as a number of pans of lasagne were brought out of a small hatch—a dumbwaiter from the kitchens, he realized. One was in a green casserole dish, which was set to one side on a small table. Four girls and one boy rose from their seats, carrying plates, and went to it—this, Daniel realized, was the vegetarian offering. Four plates, already served up, came out next and were placed before Mr. Alexander and three of the other men at the "head" table—their sauce looked darker, somehow. Four large, opaque mugs came out last, going to the same four people, one of whom seemed not to like lasagne, for his plate was pushed back from him and ignored.

But Daniel's thoughts were sidetracked as everyone rose from their seats, falling silent while the man who'd been in the office with them—Taylor—said a short, simple grace. The noise level promptly resumed once an "Amen" was said by all, and everyone sat to eat. Before he could begin, though, Mr. Alexander passed him a sheet of paper, folded once lengthwise, and a pen. He looked up at his host in confusion.

"I am afraid that I must ask you to read and sign that, before we go any further," Rex said, almost apologetically. "It is necessary, whether you decide to take the position or not."

Opening out the sheet, Daniel looked at it, more puzzled than before. A non-disclosure agreement? Why would he have to sign… Then he froze, when he saw mention of the Patriot Act and the Official Secrets Act. He read over the document more carefully, but was no better informed. He looked at his host, his temper rising.

"I mean you no insult," Rex told him, for he could sense feelings of hurt and betrayal coming from his guest. "This is necessary, to protect certain individuals here, _not_ because we feel you to be untrustworthy. I will explain more fully after dinner, but you will need to sign that, please, if you wish a fuller explanation."

What, was this place stuffed with kiddie geniuses, hidden away here by the government? Still disgruntled, Daniel signed where indicated, albeit reluctantly, then passed the paper back. "So what's so special about these kids?" he demanded truculently.

A soft growl sounded to his left, but he saw no animal there when his head whipped around. Rex snapped out a sharp, _"Steve!"_ Even as Daniel looked, one of the paler men sitting beside him looked slightly shamefaced, but that was all.

"It is not the children that this is meant to protect, but some of us—and yourself, for now you will be safe to leave here, should you wish. But please, eat your dinner while it is hot. There is nothing harmful in it, I promise you."

Three more adults came in then, one of them Asian and one Latino in appearance. These last two went, not to the head table, but to the larger ones, sitting near some of the older residents. They dug into their plates of food eagerly, joining in their tablemates' conversations readily. The third had a seat at the head table.

Periodically, one or another of the young people rose and went to a door off to one side of the room, returning with a pitcher to pour out into the cups of the younger ones. A butler's pantry, Daniel realized, looking then at his own empty cup.

Taylor caught his glance and grinned. "If you want any, there's coffee- and tea-makings in the pantry there," he indicated that door with his head. "We get that for ourselves; that way, Collins and whoever's helpin' him gets t' eat with everyone else. They're part of th' 'family' too, ya know."

Finally, Daniel made himself settle enough to eat. It _was_ good, he decided, well worth the trip out here, for the meal if for nothing else. He found himself cleaning his plate and going back for seconds. "What, no vegetables?" he asked as he started in on the refilled plate.

He got a grin in response. "There's spinach in the lasagne," one of his other tablemates said. "A couple of the kids objected at first, but they all complain now if it's left out. Sneaky is good, yeah?"

He had to laugh at that innocent look on…_Steve's_ face. "Sometimes, yeah, it is," he had to agree. He settled down to watching everyone as he finished his meal, starting to feel contented again… until he happened to catch sight of the contents of Steve's mug. It looked like…_blood?! _He froze, but faces—all pale—were turning in his direction, even though he'd _said_ nothing.

"Be calm, please," Rex said quietly. "You are safe here—an invited guest, and hopefully an employee. No one here will harm you, Mr. Weaver; you have my word on that. But perhaps, if you are finished, we should repair to my office once more, to discuss this, yes?"

He didn't know which way to run…and there were all those kids in danger—if they really _were_ kids… Now his imagination was running away with him, Daniel realized as he tried to get a grip on himself. That was all just superstitious rot… His head swiveled wildly as he stared around himself, until his eyes met those of one of the other men.

The Headmaster was standing beside him now, Taylor at his back as Daniel slowly rose from his seat. He moved where they indicated as if in a fog, his mind still gibbering at him. But they only brought him back to the office, to the chairs over by the fire.

"Please, be seated, Mr. Weaver," he was urged, until he eased down into one of the chairs. He jerked around suddenly as if something had abruptly released him, to see his host looking at Steve consideringly—he had apparently followed them from the dining hall.

"I did not realize that you had Thrall," Rex said to his youngest in a quiet voice.

"They tested me for it when I went…for training," Steve answered, thinking about what he was saying in front of an outsider. "Tony says I'm 'way stronger than he is. He showed me how to do it, though he made me swear not to use it for hunting, unless you say to."

"All right," Rex nodded; that was a fair requirement, considering where the fledge had been trained in its use. "I do not have that ability; none of my Childer have ever had it before, so I did not think to test you for it. Do not use it on the… staff, or they may come to resent you for it. Tonight, though, it is well that you did, for Mr. Weaver was about to panic, and that would have upset the kids.

"Are you well, Mr. Weaver?" Rex asked Daniel solicitously as Taylor brought over a glass of clear liquid.

"It's just water, nothing added," Taylor said before Daniel slowly accepted it, then took a sip.

"What's going on here? Who _are_ you people, anyway? That looked like blood…" Daniel looked over at Steve, his panic flaring once more at the memory.

"Gently," Rex soothed again. "It _was_ blood; I drink it also, but it is usually obtained bagged, purchased from the Red Cross. There are four of us here, Mr. Weaver; the children are all human like yourself."

"You're gonna kill them…" He started to get angry now at that thought, but his host just smiled.

"Certainly not," Rex countered. "They are in my care, and under my protection. We will feed from them someday, once they are grown, but they will not be harmed, nor will they be turned. They are free to leave whenever they wish, as is everyone else here… except for one, but _he_ is a special case. _You_ are not here to be killed or harmed, or even fed from, unless you wish to offer. You are here as stated: to be a mathematics teacher to my young people. There are other, similar groups throughout this area that could benefit from your tutelage also, if you still want the position. Quarters and meals are provided as part of your wages; the food is all human-normal and is unadulterated by drugs of any kind. Please do consider accepting the post; both Taylor and I like you."

"Taylor…?"

"I'm human, like you," the man said quietly. "I've been with him for three years now."

"If you're human, what's he?" Daniel demanded aggressively.

_"That,_ my friend, is a long story," Taylor sighed.

~o~

Weaver left that night, saying that he'd let them know in a couple of days. Rex seemed to understand that it would take a while for him to process everything, for too many of his preconceptions had been shattered by this encounter. They had been genial hosts, true enough, and the kids seemed to be more than content to stay there, even knowing what their benefactor was. But _vampires?!_ That would take some heavy thought, and that paper he'd signed said he couldn't talk to anyone.

Just before ten-thirty that night, his phone rang. Daniel stared at it, not sure if he should answer it. Finally, though, he did. "Hello?" he asked uncertainly.

"Hello," a man's voice said. "You don't know me, my son, but… if you need someone to talk to, I'm a safe one to listen to you. I'm Father Olsen; Taylor asked me to contact you, since I know about Master Rex and his people. Here's my phone number if you want it…"


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, last chapter, and this monster is finally done, just in time for a Christmas present for y'all. Hope you enjoy it; both Jake and I are wishing you all a Merry Christmas and safe and happy holidays.

- Jordre

**Chapter 10**

Several weeks passed without word, so that Rex began to think that Daniel had been frightened off—and he hadn't even seen a gameface yet. Finally, late one Saturday afternoon, the battered old car wheezed its way up the drive to stop at the front door. Rex went down to the lobby himself to greet Daniel, although it was Taylor who actually answered the door.

Weaver looked at Taylor. "What? You waiting at the door for someone to come? Or are they psychic, too?" he snarked to cover his nervousness.

Taylor just laughed. "We got a motion sensor set just behind th' gateposts," he said, still chuckling. "Gives us advance warning whenever anyone comes. Plus, your car's pretty distinctive."

"You will be able replace it with better soon, I suspect," Rex said, coming out of the shadows now that the front door was shut. "You have reconsidered my job offer?" He waited politely for the human's answer.

Finally, Daniel sighed. "Yeah; it's 'way more than generous, 'specially with room an' board included," he admitted reluctantly. "I'd be a fool to turn it down; just hope I don't come to regret this," he added, trying not to look around himself for the others like a scared rabbit.

"You will be safe here; no one will bite you against your wishes," Rex assured him. "Would you care for further assurances? There is a doctor in town who can vouch for the care that my people are given; she, or one of her people, will be out here next week for the Stable's monthly checkup."

"Okay—what's a Stable?" Daniel said, realizing that they hadn't been able to tell him much during his last visit—or at least he didn't remember it if they had, due to the severe case of near-hysteria that he'd had.

"Stable's all th' kids, an' the adults at th' lower tables," Taylor filled in helpfully. "They're Master Rex's food supply—or, they will be, once they turn eighteen. 'Master Rex' is his real name; he just uses 'Mr. Alexander' for his human business. That 'Master,' think of it like '_Father_ Olsen' or _'General_ Patton'—that's the sorta thing meant by it: rank, not slave-holder."

"So… you sit at… what? High table? What does that make you?" Daniel found himself relaxing as his curiosity came to the fore.

Taylor smiled again, but it was Rex who answered. "Taylor is my Pet—a favored human, that means. Corey and Steve are both vampires that I made as companions; they are what are known as Childer. Dobbs is Corey's Pet. Steve is very young, as vampires go; he cannot have a Pet yet, for he is still learning control. Nick is a minion; they are created to be servants, and 'cannon-fodder.' I did not turn him, though; I found him here when I arrived, and liked his… 'vibes', I suppose… so I let him live and kept him for my own household. Collins is human and my Stable Chief, so he has enough rank to sit at high table with us. The last human sitting with us is Deke; he, too, is a Pet, and mine, though he is still getting accustomed to life here. You will sit at high table also, as an honored instructor; that will give you the rank you will need to control the Stable Kids, both here and at my under-Masters' lairs."

_That_ just created more questions in Daniel's mind, but he set them aside for now. Later he would take Taylor and Dobbs aside and get the complete picture. One thing he had to know now, though: "So… you're not gonna bite me," he said, carefully phrasing it so that it wasn't a question.

Rex looked at him. "I do not have to. However, if you wish to have my protection when you go into the lairs of the others, I can give you that by a simple bite to the wrist. It only stings for a few seconds, and will not turn you or imperil your soul, but it _will_ put my mystical scent on you, so that all other vampires in the area will know that you are mine, and will not bother you. It will need to be renewed every few months. There are a few select humans in the area who know what that mark signifies, for they carry it also. Unfortunately, I am afraid it will give you no protection whatsoever against human thugs. But it is up to you entirely; I will not force you to accept that."

Taylor grinned. "You'll learn that that's a compliment among the vamps—being Claimed, I mean. Only useful humans are Claimed, see?"

"How 'bout I think that over?" Daniel hedged cautiously, but the vampire (?!) just grinned pleasantly.

"As I said, that is your choice. As is your decision about the job offer. Do you wish it?" He cocked his head slightly to one side as he waited for his answer.

Once again, Daniel hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'd like to have it, Mr. Alex…"

"The proper term is 'Master Rex,' the vampire cut him off firmly. "That is what the Stable Kids call me also; they were quite strained during your last visit. It is one reason we do not encourage many outside visitors. Even government protection can only extend so far; my best protection is anonymity. _You_ needed to know, though, and sooner rather than later, for you would have learned of us just by living here."

"Yeah, that's what that priest said," Daniel said with a rueful grin.

Rex looked at Taylor, who just shrugged. "I had Father Olsen give him a call after he left here th' last time; I figured he'd do better if he had someone t' talk to, an' at least the Padre is in th' know, an' safe."

"Ah, I see," Rex said, nodding then. "That was probably good thinking." He turned back to Daniel then. "If you are ready to accept the position, I have a contract already drawn up in my office. All it will require is your signature. My solicitors in town prepared it for me, so you need not suspect the terms. It is for a year and includes an abbreviated summer session; you may move into one of the apartments as soon as the renovations are complete and you have decided how you wish it to be finished and/or furnished, if necessary. Until that is ready, you are welcome to a room here in the main building, as I have several suitable for guests available. When would you like to start?"

He felt as if he were caught up in a whirlwind. "You don't waste any time, do you?" Daniel asked as he played for time. "I still have to give notice at my old job, and on my apartment. I'll need at least four weeks to do all that…"

"That is acceptable," Rex said agreeably. "If you need assistance with your move, some of my human minions can help you pack, or move furniture. Has your certification been registered with the state board of education?"

"Uh… not yet," Daniel admitted. "I was kinda afraid it might lose me my day-job, if they found out about it."

"And again, I understand. You will not have to worry any longer, about either employment or medical care. I look after my people, especially if they provide good service. I have no doubts that you will do just that. Children are said to be good judges of character," Rex added as he ushered his new teacher back to his office to get the contract signed. "They have asked after you, hoping that you would come here to teach. They will be pleased to hear that you decided in favor of taking the job."

Taylor grinned as he watched the door close behind them. Already the news would be spreading among the Stable; he'd learned that some of those kids seemed to have hearing as sharp as, if not sharper than, the vampires themselves. He went to spread the news among the other adults. After all, it wouldn't do for _them_ to be out of the loop; they had to keep ahead of the kids _somehow._

~oOo~

"Could I please speak to a Captain Eric Williamson, please?"

The corporal who took the call was intrigued, for the female caller sounded very uncertain—almost as if she didn't really want to talk to the Captain. Still, he had a job to do. "Certainly, ma'am; I think he's in his office. Hold a minute, and I'll transfer you to his line, okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Her voice was stronger now, surer-sounding. So… maybe it was just that she wasn't sure there really _was_ such a person here… The corporal switched the call, content now that he had a new topic to speculate on, to help pass the time.

"Captain Williamson speaking; how may I help you?"

It was a confident voice, Tracie Hughes decided, pleased for some reason unknown to her. "Yes… I was given your card and told to call you once I'd decided… Oh! I'm so sorry; my name is Tracie Hughes…"

"Well, hello there, Miss Hughes. I'm glad to hear from you at last." The man's attitude went through an instant transformation, from a professional, formal lawyer-like tone, to that of an old family friend. She found herself gaining confidence in her decision as he continued, "I'd hoped you'd call. How can I help you today?"

"Umm… I know it's been quite some time, but I just wasn't sure if it was a good idea; I mean, I really know nothing about this place… I've just missed him so… And I'm blathering, aren't I?" She was glad that he couldn't see her, for she just _knew _that her face was red with embarrassment. And that always clashed with her hair!

"Don't worry about it; I do it too, sometimes. I take it that you've come to some sort of decision about the proposed move?" Williamson was mentally crossing his fingers now. He'd gotten periodic updates on the way the newest addition to Rex's household was adjusting; while things were going smoothly enough, Rex was convinced that Deke would settle in much better if his fiancée decided to relocate to the lair.

"Yes. Does he still want me to move out there, do you know? He said I could keep on teaching…" Her uncertainty showed now; she hated that, but couldn't seem to control it.

"He's just been waiting for your call," the lawyer assured her. "Do you have any idea when you would like to go? I believe he might be willing to allow a trial visit, to see if you'll like it there… You _will_ have to sign a non-disclosure form first, but I'll stick my head in the lion's mouth and ask him for you, if you'd like."

"No; I think I'd just rather make the move. I've… already told people here that I was moving elsewhere; I said there were too many memories here for me, that if I couldn't have Deke here, I'd rather make a clean break―word spread somehow that he was placed in witness protection, but I swear I wasn't the one who told anyone…. Anyway, I told them I'd found another job, out of state, but I didn't say where. I couldn't, since I don't even know where I'm going!" She was agitated now; Williamson heard her take in a deep breath as she worked to calm herself. "Sorry. I didn't mean…" She let her voice trail off.

"That's quite all right," he said, his voice kind and understanding. "Have you finished your current year of classes? Do you have to give notice, and if so, how long before you can leave?" He was trying not to overwhelm her with questions, but there was so much that he had to know, now.

"This school year was a joke," she said bitterly. "It's not at all what I'd hoped for. You would think that a private school… The public school I taught at before this had better-motivated kids than these spoiled little princesses and privileged _brats!_" Again she paused to regain her composure. "I've given notice; I can leave any time—they don't really care if I'm there or not, and have said as much, or words to that effect. I've also spoken to my landlord. He knows I'm leaving; I'm paying month-by-month now, until I can 'find a new place'― at least that's what I told him. I'm paid up through the end of this month right now…"

"Good; that's perfect," the JAG said, figuring logistics frantically. Normally a move like this took much longer to arrange, but he wasn't about to tell _her_ that. Two weeks to the end of the month—hell, he wasn't Rex's miracle-worker for nothing! "Can you start packing up your smaller breakables?" he asked, not knowing how efficient or self-sufficient she might be. "Movers are notoriously careless…"

"I don't have much really good stuff; my china's still packed from my last move. Not that I'm likely to need _that_ now," she added, a hint of bitterness creeping back into her voice.

"Don't count on that," Williamson chuckled. "I understand that the Master has been renovating and remodeling again—he's set up some smallish apartments on the property, and I believe that one has your name on it. It'll be your choice, I've been told, whether you eat with everyone else in the dining room or cook for yourself on any given day. I do know that he prefers everyone to gather for the evening meal in the main dining hall, though; he says it gives the kids more of a sense of family, and I think that he's right."

"Should I pack my linens and sheets? I don't know what I'll need…"

"Just keep what you want; he'll see you have whatever else you need. If you like the furniture you have, by all means bring it. Or you can pick out all new stuff; I don't know how much of Deke's stuff you'll want to use, but we emptied his whole apartment and shipped that out there also. It's waiting for your arrival; they'll make it available for the two of you to go through at your leisure."

"Oh!" she said, surprised. She'd assumed that he'd been just taken, all of his possessions abandoned. She hadn't had the heart to go by his old place even to check; one of her friends had gone and picked up his cat. _The cat!_ "Do you think he'd mind if I brought a cat?" she asked hesitantly, worried about what she would do if the answer was no.

"I don't know, although I suspect it will be fine. I'll check with him shortly, and ask for you. How else can I help you?" he asked encouragingly.

"That was my only big worry. It was Deke's, you see… I've got all my clothes packed; I can have my books and art supplies ready in a day or two. It'll take a while to clean this place, though," she added as she realized that she'd have to do that, or forfeit her deposit.

"I'll have that taken care of for you. How about I call you once I get a date from the movers?"

"That would be good," she agreed, cheering up as she began to realize that she wouldn't have to do much, really. Not like her past moves; _those_ had been nightmares! "Thank you so much, in advance," she said.

He could imagine the grin that must be now on her face, to judge by the sound of her voice. "You're welcome, in advance," he chuckled back. "It's what I get paid the big bucks for—solving problems and smoothing the way. I've been told I'm very good at that, so I have a reputation to uphold. You pack what you feel like; the movers will get the rest. Get some sleep and don't worry about this, okay?"

"Yes, all right. And thanks again…" She was smiling for the first time in weeks as she hung up the phone at last.

~oOo~

Rex had decided that it might be best to say nothing of the upcoming arrival, in case she changed her mind at the last minute—women were notorious for that, he knew. He'd long suspected that they did it just to watch their men-folk scramble as they tried to please their gentler companions… At least, that's what he remembered thinking, back in his breathing days.

It came, then, as a surprise to everyone else when the large moving van rolled in through the front gates. The day was beautiful, warm even for late spring, and sunny, so the kids were all outside, supervised by Collins into teams for field hockey and soccer. All the other humans were out working on the ornamental gardens around the front of the main house, directed by Marc Santos. Even the Pets were there, although their vampiric Masters were probably still sleeping in the warm piles of bedding left behind by their companions. The sun and fresh air were good for the humans, so the vampires sent them outside whenever the weather was nice like this.

Thus the adult humans were the first to see the van turn into the driveway, followed by a small tan car. Deke froze when he saw the Honda; that looked like Tracie's… He started towards it, but Marc's voice ordering him to _stay_ froze him in place. He'd grown accustomed to obeying the vamps around him, and whoever was in charge of any given work-party. It was as if he were back in the military… He watched from a distance as the car door opened and the small red-haired woman got out and approached the front door. She hadn't really looked at the gardeners and so hadn't noticed him there, although she _had_ looked around at the grounds themselves.

The front door opened, and she went inside, out of his sight. Deke found himself being picked up off the damp ground, his legs having suddenly given out; Taylor looking at him in concern.

"She's here!" he gaped in shock, looking at the Master's most-favored human.

"Yeah, I can see that," Taylor said with a smile. "He said he'd try t' get her here for you, remember?"

"I didn't think she'd come," Deke admitted, somewhat shamefaced, then suddenly very concerned. "She doesn't know what's going on here!"

"Calm down," Taylor said, still hanging onto one of Robertson's arms. "He told her what he was, an' what we do here, so relax. She knows, and if she's here now, it's 'cause she wants t' be where _you_ are, an' she don't care about _any_ of th' rest. Stay here with Marc and the others, okay? I'm gonna be needed inside now." He left once he was sure that the other would stay with the work group, trying to knock as much dirt off his hands and clothes as possible.

He found Rex with the woman in the front parlor, a sitting room with comfortable chairs, that wasn't used often.

The vampire smiled when Taylor came in. "Good; I knew you would come in once you saw our latest arrival. My Pet, this is Tracie Hughes; she is our Deke's fiancée, and has moved here to be with him. Miss Hughes, this is my senior Pet, Rob Taylor. Should you find that you need anything, you need only speak to either him, or Collins, whom you will meet shortly.

"Rob, would you please tell the movers that you will show them where to unload presently, then bring Miss Hughes out to select which apartment she would like? Daniel has not stated a preference yet, so this is a matter of 'first come, first served.' Perhaps she would like the west-side one on the second floor; it has that sunroom, which should give her good daylight for painting and such." Rex carefully didn't mention that it had four bedrooms, one of which would be perfect for a nursery… She wasn't pregnant, but that was bound to happen eventually.

"Gotcha, Master. Be right back," Taylor answered, bouncing out of the room in high good humor. He'd exchange pleasantries with Deke's lady friend in just a little while; first, he had to tell the movers to pull around to the rear of the main building, so he could show them which smaller dorm to unload at. He went back inside, meeting his Master and Tracie at the rear door. "It's not that bad a walk, even when th' weather sucks," Rob said as they started out the back, leaving the vampire behind in the safety of the main house. "In _really_ bad weather, we've got spare guest rooms in here that you c'n crash in. Main house has an emergency generator; the smaller buildings don't—except th' gym an' th' chapel."

"There's a chapel here?" Tracie asked in surprise, although she didn't stop walking.

"Yup. A priest—Catholic—comes out here once every two weeks for a service, Bible study and RCIA for whoever wants; we've got a rabbi who comes out for the in-between weeks, to cover th' rest. Th' Master's old-fashioned, more traditional—we say grace at dinner, an' th' kids all say their prayers at bedtime. He may be demonized now, but he still acknowledges that there is a Higher Power." Taylor was watching her as he spoke and had caught her slight motion—she'd lightly bit her lip at the mention of a Catholic priest. "You have any religious preferences? Deke doesn't seem to care either way…"

"I'm—How'd you put it?—'more traditional' than Deke is, I'm afraid," Tracie said, a soft chuckle escaping her as she recalled some of their early discussions on their religious beliefs. "I'm Episcopalian, though, not Catholic."

"Not to worry," Taylor tried to reassure her as they walked into the renovated dorm building, Collins coming in behind them. "Father Olsen was a military chaplain until recently. He won't shove Rome an' th' Pope down your throat. The service he uses on his Sundays here is kinda nice, actually; even our Jewish kids go, although they leave before Communion—except for th' ones on the choir. I'm sure he can find a suitable Episcopal priest when you need one." He looked over at Collins. "You wanna give her th' tour? This is Miss Tracie Hughes, Collins." Taylor paused while his two companions nodded politely at each other, then added, "Master suggested she look at Two-West, for th' sunroom."

Collins nodded. "We can have the movers stack everything in Two-East if she likes it, so we can get West all painted to suit her tastes. Be easy to shift her stuff over from there."

"Good idea. You can look at all the apartments, then pick out whichever one you like, Miss Hughes," Taylor began, but was cut off.

"Look, I had enough _'Ms. Hughes' _from the kids at my last school. How about, I'm just Tracie, okay?" She had noticed that Rex, and the people she'd met there so far, tended to use the older form of address for her—"Miss" instead of "Ms."—and suddenly decided that she liked the sound of it much better, if it had to be used at all.

"Great, actually; I'm Taylor—Rex is about the only one here to call me Rob, though that's okay, too," the human said with a warm smile.

_"I'm_ just Collins… Explanation later," the owner of that name grinned also as he offered his hand. "I'll make sure you meet all the adults, although I s'pect Master Rex will introduce you to all of us."

"That sounds good," Tracie said, glancing over at the building's doorway at the restlessly shifting foreman of the movers' crew. "Now, about that tour of apartments…"

~o~

The apartment was chosen—Two-West, as suggested. It _was_ the nicest in the building, and definitely suitable for a Pet who was being allowed to mate and live apart from his Master. All her goods were shifted into Two-East, and colors were chosen for the walls. The painting was done within the week, the furniture relocated, and Tracie established, in with her fiancé.

Rex was looking like a satisfied cat now. All that still remained was to organize the wedding itself.

~oOo~

Spring passed into summer, and the two new teachers found themselves blending seamlessly into life at the lair. Rex was pleased, for Deke seemed to be accepting his situation much better since Tracie had moved in with him. The vampire was still very concerned, though, by reports out of the Aurelian-Nightstalkers' lair. Craig was doing so well that he and Bobby had been sent out on assignment again. Rebecca, though, seemed to be even more erratic, and her companion was definitely unhappy with the situation. He had been denied leave because of her behavior; that just created even more friction between them.

Rex had been seriously considering calling Master Ripper and offering to send Sammy Chen out there to replace Andrew as Becka's companion. Sammy had managed to hear about this through the Stable grapevine, though, and practically begged his Master not to send him away again. Rex finally relented; it would do Sammy very little good to feel that he'd been rejected a second time. Reluctantly he decided to keep Sammy home at the Lair after the human suggested that he be used as a training tool to teach Steve how to feed gently from a live human. Rex had to agree that Steve liked Sammy, and would take extra care not to injure or kill him. Dealing with Rebecca would have to remain Master Ripper's problem.

So matters stood, until the day that Andrew received a text from his girlfriend Sherrie. He stared at the thing for long minutes, but the message didn't change in any way; it still read,

_Got tird of w8ing 4u. Met sum1 Ls. Will b married 2nite. Goodbye._

Rebecca came over to see what he was staring at, gasped as she read the message, then vamped out and snarled in rage. _That_ got Drew's attention away from his laptop, and he looked at his vamp in confusion.

She looked at him, still growling. "That _bitch!_ Doesn't she even have the guts to at least _call_ you to tell you that? She doesn't deserve you!" She grabbed him then, and pulled him up out of his seat, holding him close to her. Drew was taken by surprise; Becka had barely spoken to him in the past two months and hadn't touched him at all since they'd returned from Rex's place except as required in the performance of their duties. He nearly pulled away from her, but suddenly decided to just go with the flow. He'd been turning her away all spring and summer, but there was clearly no reason to do so now. She _was _pretty, and she'd long indicated that she wanted him— _Why not?_ Andrew asked himself as he finally returned her hug. _He_ might regret the decision eventually, but if it made her happy for now, that would do.

The Nightstalker vamps knew what followed and grinned knowingly at their companions. The brass figured it out when Becka's disposition suddenly turned from muddy to sunny once more. Everyone finally stopped worrying about a dead body being found one day, and Ripper sent an e-mail to Becka's Sire, giving the good news.

Rex smiled when he read it.

~oOo~

Deke and Tracie were married on September 1st, at an old Episcopal church in Minneapolis, the presiding Protestant minister arranged for by Father Olsen. The service was performed in the evening, to allow the vampires to attend safely. Rex's other Claimed humans attended along with his Pets and Stable, as did a number of the humans from other Stables. Many of those older girls and young women had become friends with Tracie, due to her art classes at their lairs, and had begged their respective vamps to let them attend.

Rex walked Tracie down the aisle himself, acting _in loco parentis_ for her deceased father. She was radiant in a custom-made white gown, all silk and satin and genuine pearls, with a veil of hand-made bobbin lace. A single teardrop-cut ruby in a white gold setting hung from its chain on her breast, making her creamy skin seen to glow. Deke, elegantly handsome in his tuxedo, stared in awe as they came towards the altar where he waited for his bride, for he had not been allowed to see any of her wedding preparations, and hadn't realized just how far Rex meant to go to make the woman's day special. Taylor, acting as his best man, had to nudge him hard before he stopped gawking long enough to go accept her hand from his Master. Rex just grinned tolerantly at him, then backed away from that altar _just_ a little bit more. He hid his discomfort until the wedding was over, grateful that there was no Communion at that service, unlike the Catholic weddings he'd been to as a living man.

As their car drove away, heading back to Rex's Court for the reception, the vampire grinned. Things did tend to work out, he decided; you just had to give them long enough—and sometimes add a swift kick in the pants—to get them headed in the right direction.

**The End**


End file.
